The opinions of people on these issues have been divided for a long time. Some say: “It’s better to drink what is sold in the store, it will do less harm in any way than what was done in the barn or basement by some old woman or old man!” Others prefer to hold the opposite opinion, claiming: “Moonshine is at least made from natural products, and vodka from the store is unclear why, we didn’t see the raw materials and don’t want to buy a pig in a poke!” Whose side to take? What is still better and safer for the human body - moonshine or vodka?
What is vodka?
Vodka is alcohol diluted in water in certain proportions. Such a water-alcohol solution has both its pros and cons. The most important plus is that for the production of vodka, exclusively pure alcohol is used, which has passed the rectification stage and is purified to such an extent that it contains practically no harmful and dangerous impurities for the body, that is, essential, fusel oils, aldehydes, etc.
Also wondering what to prefer to the table - moonshine or vodka - pay attention to the taste, color and smell of the product. Vodka is always transparent, like a tear, it does not have an unpleasant smell of “sivuhi” and it does not taste pleasant, but it is not disgusting, as is often the case with moonshine. Still, the alcohol is pure, rectified, and also flavored with various kinds of flavorings.
Classification of vodka in accordance with generally accepted standards
Few people know, but there are some. Most people, when buying a little bottle of white wine in their vodka, never look at what is written on the label in smaller print. Meanwhile, useful information is there. It is all about the same classification:
- Economy-class vodka is distinguished by simpler filtration, and therefore there are more harmful impurities in alcohol. Typically, economy class vodka is bottled in standard nondescript bottles that do not stand out either in shape or label. Such a drink is the easiest to fake, which is why it is among such cheap vodka products that the most counterfeits are found.
- Class standard is considered a more serious drink. This is the middle class, bottled in a peculiar style and shape of the bottle. In its production, Extra alcohol is used, which is cleaner and contains many times less harmful impurities.
- Premium class, evidence of belonging to elite wine and vodka drinks. The bottles in which the product is “dressed” are made according to proprietary design developments, according to which brands become recognizable by themselves, even the inscriptions do not need to be read. Its basis is alcohol of the "Lux" class, the purest product, as implied, of natural origin. There are no impurities of any kind, like methanol, etc., in it at all, since alcohol of this class goes through a number of purifications and, as a result, is ideal.
- Super premium class is the most elite product. There is an opinion that such vodka cannot be faked at all, since the costs will be exorbitant. It is produced only on special equipment and with the use of such treatment substances as gold and silver. Water is used exclusively from alpine alpine sources.
What alcohol is made for modern vodka
Many people know that alcohol is a product of distillation of the prepared wort, only “wort” is this, if it can be called with this word in this “modern” case, nowadays it can be done on the basis of whatever you want. It was in the early years of the formation of socialism that drinking alcohol for the production of vodka was made from grain. Now it is produced from everything in a row, from the waste of the woodworking, oil industries and even from manure.
In a store on the window, vodka looks great. But not a single bottle of today's modern vodka has grain alcohol. A large share of alcohol for the production of vodka is now purchased abroad, with the lion's share of these purchases coming from China. And with its thrift, economy and limited resources, what do you think is the raw material from which alcohol is produced there? Yes, from what you want, but not from grain. So it’s really worth considering which is better - vodka or moonshine. No one is safe from the fact that the purchased expensive vodka is actually a product of the rectification of raw materials obtained from manure ...
What is moonshine?
Moonshine, unlike vodka, is produced as a result of the distillation process, that is, evaporation, as a result of which the condensate is collected and slowly poured into a special vessel. Alcohol - the liquid is lighter, has a lower density, and therefore its boiling point is lower than the boiling point of water. When heating the prepared wort (or mash - as anyone wants), the liquid is brought to the temperature at which the alcohol begins to evaporate and condense in the coil, dripping into the collection vessel.
The product of the first distillation is called pervat. In the process of evaporation, both water and undesirable impurities get into it, therefore its strength is small, and the harmfulness of such a “drink” is too great. That is why the pervach is re-distilled, resulting in pure moonshine that is completely safe for the body, at least no more than the same cognac, which also has a bunch of unwanted "harmful investments" in it.
If the drink turned out to be 60 degrees or more, at home, vodka from moonshine of such a fortress will turn out to be quite decent. Yes, she will give it a little moonshine, but it will be safe. Drinking such vodka, you will not think that you consume products obtained as a result of oil refining. And a hangover from moonshine is always better tolerated and faster, and when consumed in moderate doses it does not occur at all. Why - more on that below.
Impurity Fables
Harmful impurities remaining in vodka or moonshine during their production, vary in degree of toxicity. It is clear that the impurities resulting from the conversion of oil to alcohol will be more toxic than the impurities obtained from natural products from which moonshine is made. Therefore, vodka from moonshine at home will be safer, even if there are hundreds of times more various impurities in it. At least, this is believed in Europe, where the production of alcohol based on raw materials obtained from non-natural sources of non-natural origin is strictly prohibited.
All hard liquors, whether brandy, cognac, tequila, rum, etc., are made exclusively on the basis of distillation, that is, by the same method as moonshine, only with the use of special equipment in which these very distillation processes occur under high pressure and at a higher tech level. Therefore, any drink obtained not as a result of simple mixing of alcohol with water, as is the case with vodka, by default contains a lot of impurities, exactly the same as those found in ordinary solid moonshine. Therefore, you should not be afraid of them at all.
The simplest recipe for making moonshine
No matter what additives the recipe for vodka from moonshine will be full of, the process will not do without preparing the moonshine itself. And it can be prepared by anyone who has the right components for the manufacture of the simple moonshine. By default, suppose you have one. To make moonshine you only need to take:
- sugar in the amount of 5 kg;
- yeast - 500 g;
- water (preferably spring, without boiling) - 25 l.
Stage 1
The first thing you need to cook mash (wort). We brew yeast in a small amount of warm water, let them win back. While the yeast is brewing, prepare the base - pour sugar into a large saucepan, fill it with water, stir. Then add the yeast, stir again, close the lid and put it on the battery or heater. The fermentation temperature should be within 25 degrees, otherwise the process will be too "long-playing", or even not take the proper success. After 10 days, we taste the wort. Grunting - it’s ready. You can still light and hold a match over the surface of the mash. The extinguished flame will state that carbon dioxide is still emitted, which means that the sugar has not completely decomposed. If the match is not extinguished - the wort is ready.
Homemade moonshine vodka recipes are often based on some basis. If the vodka is apple, the basis for the mash should be apples, if grape - grapes, wheat - wheat malt, etc. Here we just took the usual sugar as the default ingredient. In the same place, the role of sugar is natural sucrose or fructose, as well as the basis of the fruits and grains themselves.
Stage 2
The second stage begins with a careful transfusion of the mash into the main tank of the moonshine still. When the wort takes about 70% of its volume, you can start the process. Gas is ignited (or an electric stove is turned on), the liquid is brought to the desired temperature. If the temperature is chosen correctly, the pervach will be more or less transparent (everything also depends on the model of the device), if the temperature is higher than necessary, turbidity and water will fall into it, which will also begin to evaporate with greater intensity.
Stage 3
The third stage is re-distillation to rid moonshine of impurities and turbidity. To do this, the entire pervach is bred again with clean unboiled water and distilled again. Someone can overtake it for the third time, achieving even greater purity and strength of the product. Everything, the basis for making homemade vodka is ready.
Making vodka at home
Moonshine itself can be consumed in this form, but often the product is obtained in such a strength that not everyone can drink it without tearing off the throat. Therefore, vodka is made from it. To do this, all moonshine is carefully distilled through a charcoal filter, where it will be cleaned of most of the harmful impurities remaining in it, which have a specific moonshine odor.
Then, following the recipe for vodka from moonshine at home, on which you stopped, moonshine should be mixed with clean water in the correct proportions so that the strength of the drink is at least 40 revolutions. To monitor alcohol concentration, it is best to have an alcohol meter in the household.
When the necessary concentration of alcohol in the future vodka is reached, you can begin to aromatize it. As flavorings, in accordance with the recipe, various kinds of fruits, herbs, berries or spices can act. Hops are most commonly used. Even in small quantities, it is able to completely eradicate the unpleasant odor of moonshine.
Many recipes can be based on subsequent exposure of the product for several days, weeks or months. So be patient. But, of course, the resulting product will be many times safer and more useful than any vodka bought in a store.
Conclusion
So, moonshine or vodka? We think we answered the question. Today, in any city, including Moscow, moonshine and vodka can be found standing on store shelves side by side. But no one can vouch for its quality, as well as for the quality of vodka. That is why you should not drink too much. In the right doses, no alcohol is dangerous. Well, if you decide to set off "all the bad", stock up with brine, the most powerful cure for a hangover. And yet, maybe it’s better not to?