For every Georgian, grape chacha - a matter of national pride, a drink that is even impossible to compare with any other nations. It is believed that the recipe for this incomparable drink was given by God himself! Moreover, it is used in medicinal purposes and even believe that it can prolong life. Let's get straight to the point - we are talking about a dose of 30 - 50 ml.
In the morning, starting physical work or going to the mountains, a Caucasian drinks a small glass of chacha and feels full of strength, he can work tirelessly until dinner.
Abkhazia also believes that this alcohol is their property, but it is Georgia filed a patent for the production of chacha in 2011. Nevertheless, it was and remains very popular in the Caucasus.
They say that Stalin somehow sent a couple of bottles of chacha that he especially liked to Roosevelt and Churchill. Both expressed their approval, and Churchill even ordered a whole box for himself.
To better understand what chacha is, let's recall its other names - cognac or wine spirit. Making classic chacha from Rkatsiteli grapes. You need to take:
- 15 kg of grapes and knead it with your hands without separating it from the ridges;
- add 15 liters of clean soft water. In Georgia, only spring water is added; making chacha from grapes at home requires boiled water;
- pour 5 kg of sugar, but it is better to dissolve it first, heating it in a certain amount of water (taken from 15 liters, which is according to the recipe) and add it to the wort already in the form of syrup (not hot!).
Special note to follow: grapes never wash even if it is very dusty. The dust will settle and will not get into the finished product, and wild yeast, which is on the berries in the form of a wax coating, causes.
Without them, the wort can simply turn sour. In rainy weather, the grapes are not harvested, and after the rain they wait a few more days for the bunches to become completely dry and the berries to resume their wax coating.
Since we're talking about classic recipe, That no other yeast, other than those present on the berries, do not apply. In addition, in the Caucasus, the preparation of chacha is carried out only in either teak barrels, so that the must absorbs additional substances found in these types of wood.
Having overtaken the fermented chacha, cognac spirit is obtained, which, being aged in oak barrels, turns into real homemade brandy, even surpassing industrial analogues in taste.
degree
Many argue about how many degrees does chacha have? We want to end these disputes immediately. This type of alcohol was previously produced exclusively at home. That is - the fortress was determined by the distiller himself. Usually it fluctuates a little, starting from 45 °, an indicator less than this is considered shameful for the master, and higher than 5 - 7 degrees is the best option.
But sometimes chacha and 80 degrees. But this is possible only with the desire to get wine (cognac) alcohol. Therefore, we will not argue how many degrees are in the bowl. And we do it exactly within the indicated limits, remembering that the drink should not be 40 degrees, and even lower.
Now the situation has not changed dramatically: a self-respecting Caucasian drinks precisely home product. Industrially produced alcohol is intended rather for tourists.
Home cooking with yeast
Consider how to make chacha at home, which almost repeats the taste and aroma classic product but the recipe is different.
Masters of home brewing, who do not live in the south of Russia, but, say, in the middle lane, where there are not so many grapes growing, juice is used for wine, and already from grape pomace produce tea. Usually it is not pressed, but only strained after primary fermentation, along with the peel, seeds and even combs.
The juice remaining in the cake will add flavor to the final product. In the regions of our country, located much north of Georgia, the Kuban, grapes do not have enough sugar content, as well as wild yeast, so a simple recipe provides adding shop yeast(preferably alcohol). We take:
- 10 kg of unpressed cake. Abkhazians, for example, believe that the best variety is isabella, which is also popular with us;
- 30 liters of water (boiled, if it is hard in your region - better even distilled);
- 5 kg of sugar (4 is possible, provided that the grapes are sweet);
- 120 g yeast. If you have a choice, give preference to alcohol.
Cooking process:
- We lay the cake in a sufficient volume, which should be filled with wort no more than 2/3 of the volume, better - even less, since the cake rises during fermentation and can overflow.
- In part the right amount warm water dissolve sugar. Some of them simply fall asleep, and in the process of fermentation it disperses in the wort.
- Pour water, the temperature of which should be slightly higher than room temperature, but not more than 45 ° C.
- We put for 2 weeks in a dark place (if the bottle is glass) at room temperature.
- Stir daily to prevent mold from forming on the cake.
- After two weeks, we will definitely try - sweetness should not be felt, the must will become bitter. So, the time has come.
- Be sure to strain the wort. First - through a colander (with the extraction of each part), then - through several layers of gauze. Otherwise, the sediment at the bottom of the still may burn.
- Distillation on a conventional apparatus is carried out in two stages. The first - as usual, bringing the final product to about 30 °. Then - secondary distillation, cutting off.
- We sort into bottles, take out to a cool place. The grape chacha recipe provides for a couple of weeks of infusion of the product. Only then it is used, enjoying the purity and aroma.
Reference. Usually chacha at home wanders in a glass bottle of 50 liters. It is not necessary to put a water seal or wear a glove, but from midges that can spoil the product in a few days, be sure to cover!
You can use an enamel pan without chips. But in an aluminum can (flask), which we most often use, wort is not recommended. The acid, which large quantities contain grape berries, reacts with aluminum, which spoils the final taste.
Pour a little of one of these cleaners into the chacha, leave for a couple of hours (or even days), strain. Better to use for this purpose filter paper, but you can also use ordinary cotton wool, although the process will take longer with it.
Yeast free
This way you can achieve maximum good taste. Consider how to make chacha without using purchased yeast:
- Let's take 15 kg of Isabella grapes (they may not yet be quite ripe or substandard). By the way, for chacha in its "historical homeland" they most often use unripe grapes.
- You will also need 20-25 liters of water.
- 7 to 9 liters of sugar.
We knead Isabella so that there are no whole grapes left, add 10 liters of water and leave for 5 days to ferment in warmth, covering the container and stirring daily.
Then we distill the whole mass. We filter the cake, but do not throw it away. It is usually hung in a linen bag in a cube in any way. Vapors of alcohol passing through the cake are saturated with its aroma. As a result, we should get at least 10 (up to 14) liters of still weak distillate.
Next, add another 10 liters of water and distill again. This time we cut off the tails with the heads. We take only the base. According to this recipe, it should be at the level of 80 °, therefore, having selected the head part, we constantly check the degree. As a result, from this amount we will take from 4 to 7 liters of high-grade chacha.
After that, before use, it is insisted for 3 weeks. Best of all - in an oak barrel.
To create a drink that strongly resembles cognac, you can use glass container. Pour on the bottom oak sawdust or wood chips, pour strong chacha, keep in the dark and warm for 3 weeks.
from apples
Cooking chacha at home is also possible from apples. It is also quite popular in the Caucasus. It may also include other fruits that give their zest to the final product.
Most often for do-it-yourself cooking use scavenger apples, which remains a lot in the garden after harvest.
Apples, like other used fruits, are not washed, so as not to destroy the natural yeast on the skin, which will provoke the fermentation process.
Preparing chacha from apples is easy. You need to take about 10 kg of apples, grind them into puree in any way that suits you.
According to the norms, 1 cup of sugar is added for each kilogram of puree (about 1.5 kg will come out per 10 kg), but if the apples are very sweet, the sugar rate is reduced by about 1/4.
TO juicy apples You can not add water, to dryish ones - it is necessary to add water. But here are the proportions: for every liter of water you need to put another half a glass of sugar. Further, everything is as in the previous recipes. Infused in an oak barrel or on sawdust, apple chacha will become even tastier.
Drinking culture
Chacha is not washed down with water or other drinks, but they certainly drink in small doses, only then it is beneficial. Caucasians themselves believe that the secret to their longevity lies precisely in the use of this drink.
Moderate amounts of the drink are great for colds, to restore strength in case of severe fatigue. There is no hangover from chacha, just like a headache.
But opinions about what to eat chacha differ. Traditionally, meat is served with it, as well as dishes traditional for the Caucasus - shashlik, pickled cheeses, khachapuri. In the east of Georgia, it is customary to eat chacha with salty dishes, in the West - with sweet ones.
Chacha, she is grape vodka, grappa. I love this drink for its cheerful effect on the body, after 3 glasses my mood is upbeat, I want to sing, breathe deeply. It so happened that I live in a private house and I have a plot of land that allows me to grow grapes. And so, every autumn wine is made, and chacha is made from grape pomace and unripe grapes. Below is my experience and
Chacha recipe at home
For this drink we need the following ingredients:
- Grape pomace, unripe grapes, apples;
- Water, per 1 kg of cake - 3 liters.
- Sugar - if you need more output, the proportion per 1 kg of cake is from 0.5 -0.7 kg;
- Yeast - if wild grapes remain, then you can use them. As for baker's or dry ones, it is not desirable, as they will leave their mark on the drink. I would recommend if you use yeast - then cultural for wine, you can also prepare yeast raisin sourdough.
The process of making homemade tea
Cake (grapes) put in a container for fermentation, pour water, yeast (if not wild) and pour 30% of the planned sugar, mix. Close the fermentation container with a lid and leave in a relatively warm place. After a day or two, the hat will rise and fermentation will begin. We have fruit mash starts to play and you can add the rest of the sugar, mix everything thoroughly.It is advisable to put the mash under a water seal, since the chacha plays for quite a long time, but I normally also enamel saucepan covered with a lid. I lifted the lid every two days and mixed the fruit mash well. Braga should be in a warm room, the favorable temperature of the wort for fermentation is 24-28C. It usually wanders for a long time, from 10 days to a month.
When signs of the end of fermentation appear: the mash does not taste sweet, it begins to lighten, carbon dioxide emissions have stopped, drain the liquid part of the mash and put it on clarification or immediately on the stage. The remaining cake can be used as a new starter - add water, sugar, apples again and go for new tastes!
Be sure to do 2 runs. The first one is possible without selection for fractions, although if you follow classical distillation young wine to cognac spirit - then the first distillation is also carried out fractionally, but we just make chacha - the second fractional distillation is enough
The proportion of the selection of the head fraction is approximately 5-10% of absolute alcohol (AS), then the heart and tail fractions are selected, depending on the apparatus. On my grandfather’s - a rarity of Gorbachev’s dry law - I finished the selection at 45%, young years - the body will endure everything, then on new ones, for example - Midjet 2014 from Dr. Huber - I selected up to 70-75%, then the degree and tails essentially drop very little.
Chacha can be diluted up to 40-45%, but I personally recommend up to 54%, with this degree, the positive potential of the drink is felt to the maximum. I use tap water, which goes through a household jug filter 3 times and settles. Now chacha should rest for at least a day or two, ideally 2 weeks, but you need to try it for quality control purposes almost immediately!
How to drink tea? Tasting at home.
I don’t know book technology, from personal experience: you can pour it into a brandy glass and enjoy the aroma. Chacha, depending on the raw material, has its own shades, if it is made from Isabella grapes, you will get a drink that is gorgeous in aroma and smell, which will make you inhale it over and over again.
Chacha is distinguished not only by its smell, but also by its joyful and energetic effect, I like to drink it in this case in 30 ml glasses. gulp, hold for a moment a sip in the mouth and swallow sharply. Warmly, then the aroma of grapes!
You can have a bite of chacha with an apple that was plucked from a tree a minute ago, or with specially prepared meat, fish dishes. Spicy cheese snacks are especially good.
Below is given to your attention 2 of my videos on making chacha: season 2013 and 2014.
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Everyone has heard about Georgian vodka - chacha, which the highlanders consider a drink of longevity and drink small glasses before meals. This legendary spirit can be bought in a store or made from grapes yourself. The second option allows you to control the quality. Next, we will look at how to make chacha at home. The recipe is simple, and the technology largely overlaps with moonshine.
Chacha is the national Georgian alcoholic drink with a strength of 55-70 degrees, belonging to the class of grape brandy. It is made from the pomace of grapes that remain after the production of wine. In fact, chacha is an ordinary grape moonshine. World analogues are Italian grappa and Slavic rakia. If you have tried grappa, you can imagine the taste of chacha. Of course, much depends on the quality of raw materials and production technology, but if all the rules are followed, these drinks are very similar.
Ingredients:
- grape pomace - 10 liters;
- sugar - 5 kg (optional);
- yeast - 100 grams dry or 500 grams pressed (optional);
- water - 30 liters.
I advise you to prepare a glass bottle of 50 liters in advance and alcohol mashine.
Attention! Real Georgian chacha is prepared without yeast and sugar, but due to the low natural sugar content of grapes in most regions of Russia, this is not always possible and advisable. Sugar Free Yield finished product will be much lower. On wild yeast fermentation lasts 25-60 days instead of 5-10 on the usual ones, but if there is no hurry, you can wait, the aroma will be more pleasant. I suggest using the recipe that is most adapted to our realities. I guarantee that its exact observance will preserve the taste and smell of the raw materials. If you do not add sugar to the mash, the amount of water can be reduced by half.
So that the grapes are not wasted, it is better to make chacha with homemade wine. The juice will be used to make wine, and the pomace will make excellent moonshine. In other words, we find a use for wine production waste.
grape chacha recipe
1. Pour the pomace into a container, add sugar and yeast diluted according to the instructions (optional).
2. Pour the entire contents of the fermentation tank warm water(20-25°C) if you add too much hot water, the yeast will die and fermentation will not start.
3. Mix the ingredients, install a water seal or a medical glove with a hole in the finger to remove carbon dioxide. Put the container in a dark, warm (not higher than 30 degrees) place for fermentation. Once every two days, remove the lid and mix the mash well.
4. After the end of fermentation (the mash became bitter in taste without sweetness and became lighter), proceed to distillation. First, filtration is needed so that the remains of the cake do not burn from the high temperature. To do this, drain the mash from the sediment and filter through gauze, then fill the distillation cube. After the first distillation (take away the product until the strength in the stream falls below 30%, without dividing into fractions), moonshine will turn out with a rather unusual smell, so another distillation is required.
5. Measure the strength of the distillate, determine the amount of pure alcohol. Dilute moonshine with water up to 20% and overtake again. The first 8-12% of the amount of pure alcohol is collected separately and poured out, this is a harmful fraction that cannot be drunk. Select the main product before the drop of the fortress in the jet to 40%.
homemade chacha- alcohol, sometimes called grape vodka. This high-strength Georgian alcoholic drink has a long history. Berries from the best vineyards are used for its preparation. Chacha is prepared from grapes at home very easily. A simple recipe is known to every winemaker or just a lover of making alcoholic beverages. But many cooking methods differ from each other in ingredients or methods. Depend on this taste qualities and strength of the finished product.
This drink has southern roots, and is very popular in the countries of the Caucasus. Making a drink is a process that takes time. The basis is Rkatsiteli grapes, and sometimes Isabella. Most often, chacha is made from ripe grapes. Not only the berries themselves are used, but also the peel with the comb. white grapes gives the drink lightness, and red conveys the depth of taste and aroma.
Chacha has a high strength. The alcohol content in the drink can reach 60 degrees. The recipe for making chacha depends on the desired taste result and free time for making. Depending on this, certain ingredients are introduced into the composition.
Chacha from grapes at home
There are several ways to make chacha from grapes with your own hands. In any of the recipes, one ingredient remains unchanged - grapes. Water, sugar, yeast and other ingredients are added to it. The most common method is the preparation of grape pomace. Chacha is prepared at home according to a strict recipe, without deviations. Only by observing all the rules, you can get a unique Georgian drink.
Ingredients
The base of the recipe is:
- Grape
- Sugar
- Yeast (rarely added to enhance fermentation)
Traditionally in Abkhazia, chacha is made from Isabella. In Georgia, the Rkatsiteli variety is preferred. It is from them that the most delicious drink. Using purchased berries, Kishmish is often used. They start cooking with the main ingredient, for which berries are specially selected or they are engaged in the manufacture of grape pressing.
Selection of raw materials and equipment
More than sour grapes. Not suitable for cooking soft varieties With delicate taste. They will not convey all shades ready drink. All berries should be not rotten and clean. Washing the grapes is not recommended, as the skin contains natural yeasts that start the fermentation process. The final result depends on how the raw materials are chosen correctly.
Anyone who has ever prepared alcoholic beverages at home will have the necessary equipment. You will need:
- Capacity for the manufacture of cake.
- A container in which mash is infused.
- Water seal.
- Distillation apparatus.
- Filter for straining (gauze or sieve).
- Distillate purification base.
How to make chacha at home
Chacha at home acquires an incomparable bouquet that cannot be obtained in the factory. Before making chacha, choose a grape variety for the future drink. One of the traditional types used in the Caucasus is used.
Chacha is made in several stages:
- Preparation in which all the ingredients are laid.
- Preparation of mash, which is made from pomace and will serve as the basis for chacha.
- Filtration of mash and distillation by apparatus.
- Cleaning.
- Spill and storage.
Each stage has its own characteristics and conditions that cannot be derogated from in order to prepare the right chacha.
Bookmark ingredients
At this stage, the selection of raw materials and the preparation of cake from wine berry, which is also called squeeze. The grapes are placed in a container and crushed until homogeneous mass. The juice is not used in cooking, so it must be squeezed well and drained. The resulting cake is used in a further recipe.
Home brew
For fermentation, squeeze the grapes again from the juice and place in the prepared container. Add sugar and water. The sweetness of the wort should not exceed 30%. To speed up fermentation, add wine yeast.
The whole process of mash fermentation takes place within a couple of months with an ambient temperature of 20-25 degrees. The mass must be stirred periodically. The end of fermentation is indicated by the appearance of an alcohol smell and the cessation of gas formation. Before loading into the moonshine still, the mash is separated from the pulp.
Distillation
The purified fermentation product is placed in a distillation apparatus. The distillation of mash is carried out by double distillation. In this case, an unnecessary fraction is formed, which is separated from the total mass. The distillation time depends on the volume of the product and the apparatus itself.
cleaning
The distillate is purified using special filters. They may be: charcoal, manganese or special filter paper. A cotton swab and the selected filter are placed in the funnel. The liquid is poured in a thin stream for uniform cleaning.
When cleaning with potassium permanganate, it is poured into the distillate itself and defended. After that, the liquid is filtered. The purified product is distilled again.
Bottling and storage
The resulting drink is poured into containers of a convenient volume. IN traditional recipes storage was carried out in oak barrels. So chacha turned out to be the most saturated. Now still most often poured into glass or plastic bottles. Before drinking, chacha should be infused for a couple of weeks.
Grape chacha is prepared in compliance with all the rules, strictly according to the recipe. In order to make cooking easier and take less time, there are some subtleties.
- In order to get pomace from berries faster, you can use a kitchen mixer or blender.
- To get rid of oils in chacha, you need to throw a handful of pine nuts and leave for a week. After that, the nuts are thrown away and the drink is filtered.
- To check the quality of chacha, you need to dip your finger in the drink and bring it to a match. If the liquid evaporates, and the finger does not burn, then grape vodka is considered to be of high quality.
Chacha recipes
Every highlander knows how to make chacha from a young age. The recipe is passed down from generation to generation in families. But many prepare it occasionally, resorting to other sources of information. There is more than one recipe: chacha from grapes, chacha from grape pulp, chacha with yeast and without. Many traditional and modern ways the preparation of this drink gives you the opportunity to try something new every time. Everyone chooses how to make chacha at home, and the recipe will depend on the chosen variety of berries and the desired result.
Real Georgian chacha
The drink comes from Georgia yeast-free recipe cooking. Chacha is very hot and fragrant. Ingredients:
- Water - 15 liters.
- Grapes - 15 kilograms.
- Sugar - 5 kilograms.
For a drink, you need to knead 15 kilograms of berries, drain the juice, and put the cake in a container. Pour all this with sugar and pour water. The mixture is infused for 3-4 weeks, stirring occasionally.
After that, the mash is filtered and twice run through the moonshine still. The finished chacha is bottled for storage and aged for another couple of months before drinking.
A simple grape chacha recipe
Such a grape chacha at home is prepared by yeast fermentation. This cooking method is faster. It will require:
- Grapes - 20 kilograms.
- Water - 30 liters.
- Sugar - 5 kilograms.
- Alcoholic yeast - 150 grams.
The squeezed berries are put into a container for fermentation. Water, granulated sugar and yeast are added to them. All ingredients are mixed and infused in a dark place for a couple of weeks. The contents are mixed every day.
The resulting mash is filtered to remove the pulp and run twice. Ready grape vodka is poured into storage containers and infused for a couple of weeks.
A simple recipe for chacha from pomace
Chacha from grape pomace has one single ingredient - berries. They are kneaded to a homogeneous mass, covered with a breathable cloth and infused for a week, mixing every day.
After settling, the juice that appeared from the grape pomace is filtered and driven through the apparatus twice with mandatory purification after the first distillation. The finished product is poured into glass containers. Containers with grape vodka are aged for another couple of weeks.
Chacha recipe without yeast
The recipe for grape chacha at home without yeast does not require additional ingredients, except for berries, water and granulated sugar.
15 kilograms of grapes are not washed before cooking and are carefully crushed. 7 kilograms of sugar and 5 liters of water are added to the berries. All this is covered with gauze and aged for five days.
After that, the cake is distilled, and another 10 liters of water are added to the resulting pure alcohol and a second distillation is carried out. The strength of the finished product will be much lower. The resulting drink is poured into clean glass containers and stored in a cool place.
Ways to use chacha
This alcoholic drink used as an aperitif. Despite a large percentage alcohol content, the drink is very soft and easy to drink. It is used from glasses of 30 milliliters not chilled. Chacha is most often drunk in pure form, snacking on fruits or pickles. Sometimes cocktails are made from it.
Benefit and harm
Chacha is often used to maintain immunity and prevent colds. It also helps to normalize blood pressure, improve digestion and overall well-being. With moderate use does not cause a hangover.
The main contraindications are cardiovascular diseases and ulcers. But even with a healthy body, this drink should not be abused due to high content alcohol.
Chacha - ancient drink which will appeal to all lovers strong alcohol. It is loved because of its softness and pleasant aroma. And properly prepared homemade grape vodka will not leave anyone indifferent.
