Do-it-yourself oak chips for moonshine. Production and preparation for infusion

Distilled alcohol has a specific and quite bad taste and a smell reminiscent of rubbing alcohol.

That's why many insist on various materials, including oak chips, as well as on oak bark.

The wood chips are prepared in a special way. Improper preparation of oak chips for tinctures may spoil the taste and aroma drink

In this article we will cover:

• what effect does oak chips have on the distillate?
• how to cook it;
• how to regulate the taste and smell of the tincture;
• how to infuse alcohol on oak chips;
• how many times can you use wood chips for infusion?

When alcohol is infused on wood chips, multiple simultaneous processes.

The mixture and water penetrates the pores of the wood and washes out the tree sap, which changes the taste, color and smell of alcohol.

If the wood surface is subjected to heat treatment , then under the influence of alcohol and water, the destroyed chains of cellulose and lignin are converted into simple sugars, that is, glucose, fructose.

These sugars also mix with alcohol, giving it special taste.

In addition, alcohol interacts with tannins, which impregnate the bark and wood of the oak, as a result of which some of these substances enter the alcohol, changing its taste.

Oak chips gives the drink cognac color and taste, which not everyone likes, so it is processed to improve taste and color different ways, the most popular of which are frying and soaking.

During caramelization, the chemical chains of cellulose and lignin break down into simple sugars (monosaccharides), which enter the distillate and change its flavor.

Due to the small amount of monosaccharides they cannot radically change the taste alcohol, but can add some flair to it and make it somehow more memorable.

For soaking wood chips poured with sweet wine or another alcoholic beverage with a distinct flavor, which they then distill.

Depending on temperature and time roasting influence changes oak wood for alcohol.

Using wood chips minimum roasting (temperature 120–160 degrees, time 2–3 hours) gives the distillate a slight smell and taste of vanilla.

Average roasting (temperature 180–200 degrees, time 6–10 hours) gives the drink the taste and smell of caramel.

Maximum roasting (temperature 200–220 degrees, time 15–20 hours) fills the alcohol-containing liquid with aroma and taste of dark chocolate.

How to prepare material for infusion?

Chips can be of various sizes and shapes, from cubes with a side size of several cm, up to large planks or small chips. Chip shape only affects convenience pouring it into a container with distillate, because sometimes it is infused in bottles, and it is difficult to pour large cubes or strips into it.

Material size affects soaking speed alcohol and the intensity of metabolic processes, therefore for short-term infusion better to use thin wood chips, but for long-term use thicker material is better.

However, no one bothers you to do it and vice versa; the difference in the results is so insignificant that the determining factor becomes the convenience of obtaining wood chips.

You only need to make wood chips from healthy wood, for example, branches from a nearby oak tree. It is not advisable to use an oak board or any oak product for this, because they treated with various reagents, protecting against moisture, bacteria or fire.

If you place such wood in a container with distillate, then instead of a pleasant tincture you will get something undrinkable.

Sometimes a fresh branch is used for infusion, but due to huge amount its tannins First you need to cut it into chips, then boil for a long time in water with the addition of soda and rinse in clean running water.

If this is not done, the drink will get too sharp astringent and tart taste, and bad smell.

However, wood chips from aged wood will have to be soaked and boiled, because even in it the amount of tannins is still too high.

When the wood has aged 6–12 months in a dry, ventilated room, the amount of tannins in it will be reduced, so the wood chips from it will be more useful. A prerequisite is wood. should be without bark, After all, it is the bark that contains most of the tannins.

Any method can be used to make wood chips, because it size and shape are not particularly important, so we recommend reading the article carefully DIY wood chips.

Soaking and boiling

Suitable for soaking spring water. Tap water It can be used, but not at all stages; it cannot be boiled or rinsed in it, but it is suitable for soaking if it sits for a day.

To soak wood chips that have been sitting for at least six months, a day is enough, however, to soak fresh material you will need 2–3 days.

Chopped wood is filled with water in such a way that there is water in 5–6 times more in volume. The water is changed every 6–8 hours.

When the soaking time is over, the chopped wood is washed with spring or other clean water, then fill with soda solution(a tablespoon per 1 liter of water) for 2–3 hours, then rinse again.

Then wood chips boiled down what it is advisable to use it for stainless steel container, because on enamel dishes indelible marks remain.

You can try boiling it in an aluminum pan, but sometimes marks still remain on the walls, so it’s better to use a stainless steel container.

Chips from aged wood boil in running water for an hour, changing the water at intervals of 20–30 minutes.

Chips from fresh wood are first boiled for an hour in soda solution the same concentration as indicated above, then rinse and cook for another 1–2 hours in running water. Only after this the wood can be send to dry.

Sometimes experienced moonshiners and distillers neglect boiling and soaking, but at the same time they use wood collected at the end of winter, before the resumption of sap flow and kept in a cut state for several years.

In addition, they select more suitable frying modes, which to some extent compensate for the increase in the amount of tannins, making the taste ready drink sharper and more pleasant.

Drying

Drying time depends on the size of the chips, therefore:

• for chips and other small items is 5–7 days;
• for planks and cubes 1 cm thick or more may require 2–4 weeks.

Chopped wood should be dried in a dry, ventilated room at a temperature over +15 degrees. The maximum temperature is not limited.

After drying, the wood chips are fried using an oven or gas burner. Drying is necessary to increase the efficiency of frying, because what more water in wood, the more steam will be released, which will reduce the temperature of the outer surface.

Caramelization

Sometimes frying is called caramelization, because the monosaccharides that appear as a result of the destruction of polysaccharides smell like caramel. Further frying leads to the appearance chocolate smell.

If an oven is used for caramelization, then the chopped wood is placed on aluminum foil in a thin layer (maximum 1 cm).

If frying is carried out using a gas burner, then the wood chips are placed in a large ceramic container, periodically stirring and turning over.

Sometimes for frying large strips use a fire, but this method of caramelization is very difficult due to the fact that it is very difficult to maintain a constant temperature within a given range.

Does not exist perfect recipe roasting, because it is impossible to accurately determine the effect of this process on the final product.

For this it is necessary conduct a series of experiments, but even this approach does not guarantee that those who decide to repeat it will have identical results. After all, the assessment of the taste and smell of a tincture is based on subjective perception, so a lot depends on who will take the sample.

Nevertheless, general principles Roasting is the same - the wood is exposed to hot air or open fire, constantly monitoring the condition of the chips.

If the temperature during frying less than 120 degrees, then there is no destruction of polysaccharide chains. At a temperature over 220 degrees Not only polysaccharides are destroyed, but also monosaccharides, which react with oxygen and oxidize to form scorched areas.

Therefore, it is necessary to experiment, keeping within the temperature range of 120–220 degrees.

Small scorched wood chips clean up, and with large cut off the charred areas.

Often it is the charred and cut strips that give the best result when infused, giving the alcohol the taste of real dark chocolate.

Used for frying electrical and gas ovens , because they provide simultaneous heating of the wood from all sides.

In addition, the influx fresh air into the oven is minimal, as a result of which the wood does not char, but caramelizes, that is, polysaccharides do not oxidize, but break down into monosaccharides.

This method of roasting More suitable for inexperienced and beginners distillers, because even a slight excess of temperature and processing time is not critical.

How to bake in the oven?

The best way to achieve caramelization at home is to roast oak chips in the oven:

1. The oven is heated to temperature 150–210 degrees(depending on the degree of roasting, correct mode can only be selected through experimentation).
2. wood chips pour onto a baking sheet in 1 layer.
3. Place the pan in the oven and close the door tightly.
4. Checked every 20 minutes the color of the chips, looking at them through the glass of the door.

As soon as the color reaches the desired value, turn off the oven and leave to cool. It is not advisable to remove hot wood chips or open the door during frying because wood may catch fire and char.

Here is the effect of the color of the chips on the taste of the final product:

1. Golden– light vanilla flavor and barely noticeable bitterness.
2. Brown– the taste of almonds and caramel appears, and the bitterness intensifies.
3. Almost black(without scorching) – the taste and smell of dark chocolate and freshly brewed black tea appears.

How to fry in a pan?

If you don't have an oven, you can also use a frying pan for caramelization. It should have a thick bottom.

You need to fry over medium heat, stirring and watching the color of the product.

However, to fry oak chips in a frying pan needs to be constantly monitored the state of the chips, and this is not very convenient. Therefore, most users choose an oven.

Impregnation

This operation is then performed when taste, color and smell, which impart oak chips to alcohol, do not like. For impregnation, you can use both alcohol-containing liquids of any strength and various juices.

They will not radically change the taste, color and smell, but even slight aftertaste or a hint of smell can turn an ordinary drink into a noble one.

Impregnate wood chips that have been pre-processed as described in previous sections, including frying them.

Depending on thickness soaking may take 5–50 hours, after which the wood is dried for several hours in a ventilated room or outdoors and placed in a container for infusion.

Sometimes, to give the drink a similarity to tequila, wood chips insist on “tails” remaining during distillation. Not a large number of"tails" gives the drink some fuseliness, but this is precisely what distinguishes whiskey or tequila from vodka.

Proportions per liter and time for which you need to keep it in alcohol

Clear proportions alcohol and oak chips does not exist. Some craftsmen claim that 5–10 grams of wood chips are enough per liter of moonshine, chacha or other distillate, while others claim the need to use 20–50 grams.

If there are no scales, then you can measure the material with a tablespoon. A tablespoon holds 3–5 grams of wood chips.

In addition, there is no agreement on the length of time for which wood chips should be kept in alcohol. Some say that 10-15 days is enough, others say that 3-6 months are needed, or even more.

Regardless of the amount of wood and infusion time exists general rule , which states that alcohol can only take a strictly defined amount of substances from wood.

Therefore, excess wood chips will not cause high content these substances.

Nevertheless, total amount of absorbed substances may be much higher than a comfortable level and the taste of the product will deteriorate.

Therefore, by changing the amount of chopped wood and the infusion time, you can change characteristics drink, regulating its taste, smell and color.

For infusion you need glass containers that can be close hermetically, or at least tight.

A slight loss of strength (2–5%), which may occur due to a leaky lid, will not spoil the product, because when oak barrels 10–20% of its strength is lost, which producers call the “angels' share.”

Containers with alcohol and oak chips are placed to a dark, cool place and check their condition every 5–10 days. The condition of the tincture is checked by color, taste and smell.

Can it be reused and how many times?

At the end, the alcohol is drained and filtered to separate the wood chips, which can be reused for infusion. 3–5 more times.

Moreover, the wood used no longer requires soaking, boiling or frying, it is immediately sent either for soaking or for infusion.

Infusion on bark

In addition to wood chips for infusion alcoholic drinks can be used and . Mostly moonshine is infused with oak bark.

However, the technology of its application very different. After all, the content of cellulose and hemicellulose, as well as lignin in the bark is noticeably less, but much higher proportion of juices and resins.

Moreover, this applies not only to the bast (inner) layer, but also to the outer layer of the bark.

Another difference is that the bark cannot be fried for caramelization, because the outer layers begin to char before the cellulose and hemicellulose of the bast layer break down into monosaccharides.

Oak bark for moonshine at home is prepared in the same way as wood chips - first the material is soaked, then boiled and dried.

These operations not only remove excess tree sap, but also remove dust trapped in the pores of the outer layers.

To infuse moonshine on oak bark, first cut or break into pieces suitable size, then placed in a jar of alcohol. For a liter of drink you will need a tablespoon of the outer layers of bark or a teaspoon of bast layer. Next, you need to let it brew and the oak bark moonshine is ready.

Taste bark-infused alcohol less rich than a drink infused with oak wood, therefore, in addition to the bark, other components are used, such as:

• herbs;
• leaves;
• flowers;
• spices.

The simultaneous use of honey and bark is not only adds sweetness finished product, but also fills the pores of the bark with sugars, due to which infusion of the next batch of alcoholic drink, even without adding honey, will give it barely noticeable sweetish aftertaste.

The choice of bark type is done in the same way as the choice of woodchip type, because the composition of juices and resins in wood and bark layers is approximately the same.

Despite the fact that there are some recommendations for using a particular breed to obtain the desired taste, each master independently develops own recipes, thanks to which his drinks acquire a unique, pleasant flavor.

Video on the topic

The video shows a recipe for preparing oak chips for tinctures:

Conclusion

The taste of alcoholic liqueurs on oak chips and bark much nicer than pure distillate. By changing the wood preparation technology and the holding time of the drink, you can adjust parameters such as taste, smell or color.

Now you know how to choose material for producing oak chips and use the chips to infuse distilled alcohol.

In contact with

Many people know that cognac is infused in oak barrels to give the drink its famous color and taste. Homemade alcohol can also be refined by using folk recipes. One of the popular ways to improve the quality of moonshine is to use oak chips. How is wood chips used for moonshine?

What not to do

Oak chips for moonshine

Why do they use wood when infusing alcohol? Wood acts as a natural purifier. Biochemical substances present in wood remove toxic impurities from alcohol, make it taste softer, and eliminate unpleasant odors.

Moonshine is infused for up to six months. How the drink turns out depends on individual wishes and the chosen recipe. What not to do:

• Oak chips for moonshine are pre-fired with your own hands. You need to be careful so that the wood does not char. Black pegs cannot be used. For your first experience, it is better to practice on a small amount of wood.
• No raw material is used. The wood chips must be completely dry and pre-burnt.
• Moonshine cannot be infused in a plastic container.
• All proportions specified in the recipe must be strictly observed.
• If an untested recipe is used, do not infuse a large amount of the drink. It’s better to try brewing some moonshine using a new recipe to see how the drink turns out.

Preparing oak chips

To make oak chips, you will need dry oak wood. Oak chip preparation process:

1. Make oak pegs of the required size. Standard peg sizes used in industrial production– 10x5x3 mm. You can independently split the wood into pegs no more than 2 mm thick. Split wood in the direction of the grain.
2. The chipped wood chips need additional drying. You can place them outdoors in sunny weather, but this process will take long time, especially if the weather is unstable. To make the process easier, use a fruit and mushroom dehydrator.
3. Once the pegs are completely dry, start processing them.

Recipe for making homemade cognac

For cognac made from moonshine at home, you will need oak chips. You can find ready-made material on sale, but moonshine infused on homemade pegs turns out much more aromatic.

Place the following ingredients in the prepared container:

• Fried pegs – 30 grams;
• Cloves – 4-5 buds;
• Coriander – 5-6 grains;
• Allspice – 4 peas;
• Vanilla, cumin - one pinch each.

You can make cognac using oak chips

Popular recipe homemade cognac:

1. Pour the spices and pegs with moonshine, which has previously undergone two distillations. You will need 2 liters of alcohol.
2. Close the container tightly with a lid or stopper. Place in a darkened room.
3. Shake the contents of the container twice a week.
4. Homemade cognac needs to be infused for at least 2-3 weeks. For getting noble drink you should wait 4-5 months.
5. Taste the resulting drink. If you are completely satisfied with it, filter your homemade cognac through cheesecloth or a special filter.

On a note! If you want to add a caramel flavor to your homemade cognac, add a little burnt sugar to the moonshine. After a week, filter the drink again.

How to Prepare Oak Chips

1. Soak the pegs in cold water for a day. The water changes at least three times during this time.
2. Dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in water (5 liters). Soak the pegs for 6 hours in a soda solution.
3. Rinse the wood thoroughly under running water.
4. Fill the washed wood chips with water and leave to boil for 40-45 minutes.
5. Dry the pegs using a dryer or place them in the sun.
6. Fry dry pegs in microwave oven or oven until chocolate brown.

Recipe for infusion with oak chips

You will need pegs and 45-degree moonshine. Fried wood chips are placed in a container with moonshine (20 grams of wood chips are needed for 1 liter of moonshine). It is preferable to use glass containers, but stainless steel will also work. The moonshine is infused for several months, after which the wood is removed and the liquid is filtered.

There are many recipes for infusing moonshine on oak pegs. You can try making homemade country cognac.

Ingredients

• Moonshine (3 liters), which has been distilled twice. The strength should be 45 degrees;
• Granulated sugar (2 tablespoons);
• Oak pegs (5-6 pieces);
• 13-16 rose hips;
• A few black peppercorns;
• 1 teaspoon of ground St. John's wort leaves.

For a milder taste, you can add a handful of white raisins, one pitted prune, and a vanilla pod.

Preparation

1. Make caramel syrup from sugar. The color of the syrup should be light golden.
2. Pour the bulk ingredients and wood chips into a glass container and fill with moonshine.
3. Add syrup, close the container with a lid.
4. After a week, remove the vanilla pod and prunes from the tincture.
5. Shake the contents constantly.
6. Infuse moonshine “In a rustic way” for 14-30 days.
7. Pass the finished drink through several layers of gauze.

Infusing moonshine on oak chips

Since moonshine is infused on oak pegs for a long time, you can place several containers at once using different recipes. As a result, you will get several types of homemade tincture. It is better to use moonshine made from grape raw materials: the drink will taste like cognac that has been infused in a charred oak barrel. You can also use sugar, cereals, berries, and fruits as raw materials. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the original raw materials. The final taste will depend on what products were used.

Moonshine must go through all stages of distillation and filtration. Only then can it be infused using oak chips, since moonshine should not contain toxic substances: methanol, formaldehyde, fusel oils. Only high quality drink after infusion taste qualities will resemble expensive cognac or brandy.

Almost no one uses it for infusion homemade alcohol oak barrels. This is an expensive pleasure that requires special care. It is much easier to use oak chips, which will give the alcohol the necessary color and original taste. The wood gives the drink such useful material, such as tannins, aromatic acids, phenolic compounds. They add a spicy, incomparable taste drink.

If you want a liqueur with fruity notes, add raisins to the moonshine with oak chips. Using 3 liters of moonshine, you will need 20 grams of black or white raisins.

How to make homemade cognac from moonshine

From moonshine you can make a drink that will not be inferior in taste to real cognac. Since an oak barrel is expensive and takes up a lot of space, other folk recipes are used to make homemade cognac: partitions walnuts, tea leaves, oak bark or wood chips.

Oak barrels are needed, but at home there is a good alternative for them - wood chips. It gives the drink similar taste, aroma and aesthetic properties.

At the same time, to prepare a high-quality tincture, it is important to choose the right wood from which the chips are made, fry it moderately and, following a proven method, infuse it. You can make wood chips yourself or replace them with bark.

All that remains is to familiarize yourself with the issue in detail and enjoy - “homemade cognac” -.

Oak chips for moonshine are a convenient and affordable alternative to aging in barrels. At the same time, the processes for saturating the liquid with tannins and tannins are very similar.

Distillate, and you can infuse not only sugar, but also any grain or fruity option, acquires a characteristic cognac aroma and flavor with notes of chocolate, vanilla and fruit. The result is a drink that combines the taste and aroma properties of both the original raw materials and newly acquired ones.

This is one of the methods, even a simple sugar one, and besides, the method is very simple and inexpensive, and for those who are not looking for easy ways, we can recommend making moonshine-whisky at home.

How to properly use oak chips for moonshine

The right alcohol

Distillate based on such raw materials as:

• sugar;
• cereals;
• fruits and berries.

The optimal choice, of course, is authentic cognac raw materials – grapes, but other options will delight you with their extraordinary taste and aroma. For other types of raw materials, oak chips are not always suitable, as a result of unpredictable biochemical reactions, the appearance of various harmful compounds, a pungent odor, or simply “moonshine will begin to taste bitter” is possible.

Oak varieties for chips

Depending on the region of growth, climatic conditions and soil vary, which directly affects the saturation of wood with various substances. As a result, chips made from different varieties oak or the same thing, but growing in different countries, gives the drink various taste and aromatic qualities. The best wood is considered to be common oak, or in other words, petiolate, grown in France, the homeland of cognac.

In addition to this type, in Winter oak, also known as holm oak, and summer oak grow in Western Europe., which are also used in the distillery industry for aging alcohol.

On the territory of the Russian Federation good properties The oak wood from the Khadyzhensky, Afipsky and Apsheronsky districts of the Krasnodar Territory is different. Other good options are varieties growing in the Caucasus, Crimea, Tatarstan, near the Ural Mountains, Voronezh region, Western Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus.

Standing apart is white oak, growing in the USA, which is used for the production of some types of whiskey. It gives the tincture a unique flavor and aromatic coloring, both similar and different from that obtained using petiolate.

Degree of wood burning

Another important criterion, which, like the region where oak grows, affects the taste and aroma of the drink is the degree of roasting of the chips. There are three main levels:

• Easy. The wood takes on a light brown color and the distillate takes on fruity, floral and vanilla notes and a straw color. Processing of the material should be stopped when the first haze appears.
• Average. The material acquires a brown color, moonshine - notes of almonds, herbs, vanilla and caramel and a rich brown color, similar to cognac.
• Strong. The wood chips become dark brown, close to black, as does the color of the tincture subsequently. Notes of smoke and chocolate appear on the palate.

Cooking method

To make a tincture with oak chips, you will need a clean container, preferably glass, wood chips in a proportion of 4-6 g per liter and moonshine itself, made using the right recipe- with a strength of 45 degrees. If the strength is lower, there are methods to increase it; if it is higher, you can dilute the moonshine with water.

• put the wood chips in a jar and fill with distillate;
• seal tightly and set aside in a cool place out of reach of sunlight;
• leave for 3-6 months, the first time it is better to start with a weak tincture;
• after the expiration date, the product is filtered through a paper filter folded into a funnel; for better aeration, the height from which the liquid falls should be about half a meter;
• The tincture is ready to drink or bottle.

Did you know? To make the color of the drink more cognac, you can add burnt sugar to it in the proportion of 1 tbsp. spoon per 1 liter of liquid. It is better to dissolve caramel in a tincture heated to 40-50 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the strength of the moonshine will decrease by about 2-3 degrees.

Did you know? The aging period can be reduced by 3-4 weeks by adding 0.3-0.5 g of vanilla, several cloves and allspice peas per 1 liter of distillate. It is important not to overdo it herbs, otherwise the taste may become unbalanced.

In order not to get a large amount of tincture with the “wrong taste” for the first time, you can close not large jars, but 0.5 and 1 liters with different amounts of chips and additional ingredients. This way you can calculate the appropriate proportions with minimal risk.

What not to do

• Frying chips too long.
• Use raw wood.
• Infuse in a plastic or metal container.
• Putting a lot of spices, both in the quantity of one and in the number of different ones, makes it almost impossible to overtake the spoiled taste.
• Keep the tincture for too long.

Do-it-yourself oak chips for moonshine

An alternative to store-bought chips, and it is not always possible to purchase a quality product in a store, is homemade, but ordering on the Internet is just playing roulette. You can get untreated oak wood at almost every construction market. It needs to be processed as follows:

• First, the bark is peeled off the logs.
• The wood is split into splinters 10 to 15 cm long with an approximate diameter of 5 to 25 mm.
• Oak chips are soaked in water for 24 hours, replacing the liquid every 3-4 hours.
• Next comes drying at high temperatures to remove some of the tannins from the wood.
• Dried wood chips are poured with soda solution in the proportion of 1 teaspoon per 5 liters of water for 6 hours.
• After infusion, oak chips should be thoroughly rinsed with water and boiled for one hour over low heat in clean water.
• The pegs are then hung to dry for 24 hours.
• On final stage oak chips are fired in the oven at a temperature of 160 C degrees to one of the three described conditions: light, medium or strong, which will determine the final taste of the tincture.

How to infuse moonshine with oak bark from a pharmacy

For the tincture you will need the following components in the following proportions:

• oak bark - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• moonshine – 2 liters;
• honey - 1 tbsp. spoon;
• St. John's wort – 1 tbsp. spoon;
• oregano – 1 tbsp. spoon;
• cloves – 4 buds;
• ground cinnamon and vanilla - a small pinch each;
• peppercorns – 8 pcs.

The manufacturing process is as follows:

• The ingredients must be poured into glass jar and pour in distillate, mix thoroughly and close with a tight lid.
• The minimum aging period is 14 days, and you need to shake the container once every one or two days.
• After the tincture has expired, the liquid must be filtered through gauze or a paper filter to remove solids, after which it can be bottled.

Spices will increase the formation of sediment, which is why the number of strainings needs to be increased at least 5 times. The resulting drink can easily be included in the list of the best made from moonshine at home.

Did you know? When making a tincture of moonshine on oak bark for the first time according to an unfamiliar recipe, it is better not to change the proportions of the ingredients immediately “by eye”, but to do this after tasting it well finished product, having thought about what he lacks, for example, flavorings for moonshine, or what may be superfluous. Thus, the chance of getting a completely illiquid tincture is greatly reduced.

Instead of an afterword

Infusing oak chips is one of the options for refining moonshine at home. The simplicity of the manufacturing method and the availability of ingredients make it possible not only to get tasty and aromatic drink, but also to discover the amateur distiller in you.

By experimenting with the proportions of the main components, as well as supplementing them with herbs and other spices, you can create a unique, extraordinary brandy, and who knows where the next Richard Hennessy will appear.

Anyone can buy real French cognac! But they love good cognac many. The point is not only in the complex and lengthy preparation process, but also in the elementary inconveniences that are associated with obtaining homemade drink. Even if you are the ownermodern moonshine still of new generation , you simply may not have free space in your apartment to place an oak barrel.

The problem can be solved quite simply if you have a pure distillate and a great desire to make cognac. It is necessary to infuse the drink with oak bark, which you can buy at the pharmacy. But it is not so easy to find this product in modern stores, and the cost is even higher than specialized ones oak chips or wood chips for refining moonshine.

Homemade cognac is easy!

How do oak chips work? They imitate aging moonshine in a real barrel, namely, they repeat the process of soaking and firing a container made of valuable wood. Chips sold in, have high quality characteristics. They are able to give the drink a noble oak note, a unique aroma and astringency, which is so valued in real cognac!

Before you start producing a noble drink, you need to select a raw material or base. There are no special restrictions here. Despite the fact that the original cognac is made from grape moonshine, you can also use fruit, grain and the simplest - sugar.

What causes the coloring of the drink? This tree contains unique tannins that change color, aroma and taste. They are converted into an environmentally friendly dye under the influence of alcohol, namely - ethyl alcohol. Both bark and oak wood are of equal value. Below we will give different recipes homemade cognac to make it easier for you to choose the right one.

To achieve spectacular notes of vanilla, fruit, chocolate or flowers, you should infuse moonshine on chips different quantities time. There are recipes, if strictly followed, you can get the expected results. Only if you don’t have time to wait long should you useflavoring additiveson a natural basis. They can be used alone or in combination with oak chips. Thus, concentrates will give the alcohol aroma and taste, and the wood will give the necessary rich shade.

Recipe for moonshine on oak bark
This method of refining is attractive for its simplicity. It will take a minimum of effort and time to radically change the aroma and color of the distillate. As a result, you will receive, of course, not cognac, but a drink with a mild taste that will resemble a noble product. For 3 liters of finished drink you will need:

• Moonshine - 3 liters. It is advisable to take an already diluted product with a strength of about 45%.
• Oak bark - 3 tbsp. l.
• Allspice – 10 peas
• Natural honey – 1 tbsp. l.
• Carnation in buds – 5 pcs.
• Oregano (dry herb) – 1 tbsp. l.
• St. John's wort (dry) – 1 tbsp. l.
• Vanillin – 1 gr. or on the tip of a knife

It is necessary to mix all the herbs and bark in a large container; it is advisable to choose glass that is neutral. At the next stage, everything is filled with moonshine and covered with a lid. You should stir once at the very beginning. Then the container will need to be shaken once every 4 days without opening. At room temperature The distillate with such additives should be infused for approximately 15-16 days. After this period, the drink must be filtered. Anyone is suitable for this purpose. homemade filter from special paper or cotton-gauze pad. At the next stage, moonshine made from oak bark is bottled and sealed. In this form it can be stored for quite a long time. To improve the taste, it is recommended to drink the drink 10-14 days after filtration.

Herbs are necessary for softening. If you don’t like some ingredients, you can exclude them, or even remove everything except moonshine, vanillin and oak bark. Even if you have access to an oak tree, you should not harvest the bark yourself. Pharmacy products have already undergone all the necessary cleaning and disinfection procedures, so they are the preferred option.

Moonshine recipe with oak chips

Qualityoak chipsare inexpensive, but effective means to get homemade cognac. Compared to bark, this product most accurately recreates a drink that is as close as possible in taste and aroma to cognac aged in real oak barrels. However, there are some nuances. Infuse the distillate in in this case it takes longer, and you also have to carefully prepare the chips before cooking. But the result is undoubtedly worth it!

Oak chip preparation technology

At the first stage, you need to remove excess tannins from them. To do this, the wood chips are soaked and then processed at elevated temperatures. You need to take logs, remove the bark from them and chop them into logs, then into pegs. The optimal dimensions are: 10 cm in length and 2 cm in cross-section. The prepared wood chips are soaked in cold water. 24 hours will be enough, during which the water should be changed three times.

After soaking, the chips are filled with a soda solution made from 5 liters of water and 1 tbsp. l. soda Next, you need to leave the semi-finished products in this form for 6 hours. After this, the wood chips are thoroughly washed and placed in a large container. Water is added to it. All this must be boiled for about 50 minutes over low heat. After this, the well-washed wooden pegs are dried naturally for 1 day. The dry wood is laid out on a baking sheet and placed in the oven for 2 hours, preheated to 150-160°C. This process should result in a characteristic brown color. Browned wood chips are stored in a dry, well-ventilated area. High humidity has a detrimental effect on oak chips. Gardeners often harvest cherry, apple or pear wood for this recipe.

For those who find the whole process too long and labor-intensive, we offer a simpler one - buy ready-made oak chips in the storeat an affordable price.

Infusing oak chips in moonshine

This process is divided into 3 main stages:

Calculation of oak chips per 3-liter jar

Everyone in the household has this container. And it is with such a small volume that it is worth starting experiments with oak chips. For a standard jar or bottle of the same capacity, 15cm bars are best suitedx 3 cm x 0.5 cm. As for quantity, 9 pieces will be enough. It should be taken into account that when using such a number of chips, the useful volume decreases by 202.5 ml. Those. 2800 ml remains instead of 3000 ml. To obtain a decent aroma and color, you can take only 6 pieces, increasing their number if necessary. So you can simultaneously infuse moonshine in four 3-liter jars and place 6,7,8,9 chips in them, respectively. This way you can determine the exact number to obtain the drink that you like best in terms of its flavor and aroma properties.

Grape brandy or chacha are best suited for making homemade cognac. Using such raw materials, you bring the taste, aroma and color of the drink as close as possible to those of real French cognac. According to these recipes, it is best to keep oak chips in moonshine for 6 months. But after 3 weeks, the drink softens significantly and acquires a specific taste and a dark tint. Therefore, if time is running out, or you are on the eve of a festive event, you can serve the distillate on oak chips within 3-4 weeks. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and you are guaranteed to find your own recipe for homemade aromatic cognac!

We will disappoint you. Not so simple. If you follow the instructions above, with a 99% probability you will get “plintusovka” - a drink that has this name among moonshiners because of its dense, heavy taste and woody smell. It has nothing even close to homemade cognac.

To prepare aromatic and tasty oak tincture for moonshine at home, you need to follow the infusion technology. It is simple and is divided into several stages. But first things first.

Preparing oak chips and moonshine before infusion

At the first stage, we need to prepare our ingredients for infusion: soak the wood chips thoroughly and clean the moonshine.

Soaking the wood chips is necessary to rid the wood of excess tannins. IN small quantities they flavor and improve the drink; in large ones, they “tanner” it.

There are wood chips different types firing The stronger the roasting, the stronger the aroma transferred to the drink. Therefore, if you want to get a soft taste and light aroma of the drink, use medium firing. For a richer flavor and darker color, highly fired wood chips are suitable.

You need to soak the wood chips for 24 hours, changing the water 4 times at approximately equal time intervals. But first we wash it under plain water to wash away dust and dirt. Change the water and start soaking. The first 3 times we soak in cold water, and the fourth time we pour boiling water over the wood chips and add baking soda. (for 40 g of wood chips - half a teaspoon.) Let the boiling water cool, then drain the water, rinse the sticks and dry them in any convenient way (in the sun, in the oven, in a frying pan). The chips are ready.

Much also depends on the distillate itself. Firstly, moonshine must be clean, without foreign impurities. Read about cleaning methods in our article “How to properly clean moonshine.” Secondly, the type of raw material from which the moonshine was obtained influences the production of the finished drink. For example, from sugar moonshine you will get a cognac drink, from fruit moonshine - an analogue of Calvados, and keeping the grain distillate on wood chips will give you whiskey. Corn moonshine will generally give a semblance of bourbon. It is clear that to obtain cognac tincture we will use sugar distillate.

Recipe for homemade cognac from moonshine on oak chips

The final stage is, in fact, the infusion itself. Let’s make a reservation right away: you won’t be able to get real cognac or bourbon from moonshine using oak chips. But it’s easy to make a cognac liqueur that is almost indistinguishable in taste and color.

To prepare cognac tincture we will need:

• Glass bottle with tight stopper
• Moonshine strength - 45-50%
• Soaked oak chips.

Mix the ingredients into bottles, seal them tightly and put them in a dark place. How long to infuse oak chips into moonshine is up to everyone to decide for themselves. On average, the aging period is 1-3 months. During aging, the tincture can be tasted, and only the manufacturer himself decides when the drink is ready to drink.

As for proportions, there are many opinions. But on average, approximately 10 g of oak chips per liter of moonshine is required. To achieve a cognac color, the tincture can be tinted with color.

If desired, the taste of the tincture can be varied with various spices and additives. This method can be used to prepare, for example, Latgalian cognac. This liqueur, invented in Latvia, completely replicates the taste of real cognac. At least that's what its creators say.

To prepare this tincture we will need:

• Moonshine with a strength of at least 50% - 3 l
• Oak chips - 2 tbsp. spoons
• Cloves - 3-4 pieces
• Nutmeg - 0.5 g
• Coriander - on the tip of a knife
• Sugar - 3 tbsp. spoons

Dissolve sugar in 100 g of moonshine to obtain syrup. Pour it into the rest of the moonshine, add the rest of the ingredients there. We cork the bottle and leave it to infuse in a dark place for 1 to 4 weeks. The degree of readiness can also be determined by taste.

In the article we have listed the basic steps for creating oak moonshine at home. Of course, there are many more recipes for moonshine infusions made with oak chips and various spices. You can’t list or remember all of them, and there are dozens, or even hundreds, of potential ingredients for creating tinctures. But this fact will give room for experimentation and inventing your own unique drink.

Oak moonshine on wood chips (video)