Moonshine is considered to be a traditional Russian drink, which is not inferior in quality to other spirits, such as rum. Considering the technology of preparation of moonshine and rum, there are practically no differences, except for the raw materials from which they are created. Today, in stores, the consumer is offered a wide range of vodka, forty percent of which are of dubious origin and are prepared in violation of GOST requirements. Therefore, it is better to spend time and effort on making moonshine at home. This will help to save the budget and maintain health. Today we will look at how to create home-made moonshine, the recipes of which have been tested, as well as methods for cleaning it, since this helps to obtain high-quality, pure alcohol.
Selection and preparation of raw materials
When choosing raw materials for the production of moonshine at home, you need to pay attention to its availability. Sugar is often used as a raw material, but starch, cereals, sugar beets , etc. can also be used. So, for example, if homemade moonshine is made from starch, then its output will be one and a half liters from a kilogram of raw materials used. In the case of sugar, the output of vodka will be one liter and ten grams. The choice of raw materials determines the quality of the final product.
Fermentation process
The quantity and quality of the final product also depends on how the digestion takes place. To do this, it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature, it must be between eighteen and twenty-four degrees Celsius. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the proportions of the ingredients, since insufficient sugar will cause the fermentation process to proceed very slowly. Therefore, it is recommended to use sugar, yeast and water in a ratio of 1: 0.1: 3. This proportion is used for many types of feedstock. As an example, let us consider how mash is prepared from grain and potatoes, so that later it can be used to make home-brew. The recipes are all proven, so there is no doubt about the quality of the drink.
Braga for moonshine from grain
Ingredients : 1 kilogram of grain, 200 grams of sugar, 50 grams of yeast, 100 grams of malt.
Cooking
The grain is washed, crushed with a pusher, diluted with water (in the ratio of one to three), then add sugar, yeast and malt, cover and put in a warm place for 15 days, periodically removing the emerging foam and shaking.
Potato mash
Ingredients: 8 kilograms of potato, 10 liters of water, 200 grams of malt, 300 grams of sugar, 150 grams of yeast.
Cooking
Home-made moonshine is obtained in very good quality if it is made from potato mash. However, in this case, double distillation and purification are necessary. So, for the preparation of mash, you need to mix all the components, put the container in a warm place for two weeks, periodically mixing the contents and removing the resulting foam.
It must be borne in mind that during fermentation not only ethanol is formed, but also its oxidation occurs, as a result of which oxidation products appear, which then get into moonshine. These are such as acetic aldehyde, ethanol, acetic acid, methane and so on. The presence of such components in alcohol is undesirable, as this can be detrimental to health. Therefore, cleaning moonshine with soda or other products is recommended. How to do this, we will consider a little later.
Distillation
Distillation is considered to be the process of heating a liquid to a boil with further vapor condensation. Primary distillation eliminates fusel oils and other impurities. So, the first eight percent of the total yield of moonshine is poured - this alcohol is not suitable for consumption, since it is a danger to the body. 85% is the volume of the main fraction, which is used for food purposes. The last fraction contains fusel oils, it is usually distilled anew, observing the same principles. Thus, as a result of the first distillation, moonshine is freed from most of the harmful substances. The second happens on the same principle as the first. But in order to get high-quality alcohol, distillation must be supplemented by purification methods. Today we will consider how the cleaning of moonshine with soda is made.
Complete purification of moonshine
Before cleaning, moonshine must be diluted with distilled water to 40 or 45 degrees, since the higher the percentage of alcohol, the stronger it holds various impurities. At the same time, it is recommended to use quality water. Its amount will depend on the strength of alcohol. Usually take 500 grams of water per 1 liter of vodka. Cleaning moonshine with soda helps remove fusel oils from alcohol. It is taken at the rate of 8 grams per 1 liter of alcohol. Soda cleaning is an intermediate step in the purification of moonshine, which must be carried out before the second distillation. If this is done after the second distillation, you can get a drink mixed with soda, which is harmful to the body. The taste, smell and transparency of such an alcoholic beverage will be very poor. Consider how the purification of moonshine occurs with baking soda. The whole process is described below.
Cleaning moonshine with soda
Baking soda is able to quickly neutralize acetic acid. It is added to moonshine after the first distillation at the rate of 1 gram (1/3 teaspoon) per 1 liter of alcohol. The mixture is well stirred and distilled again, pouring the first and last 150 grams of the drink. The second distillation allows you to get alcohol with a strength of up to 70 degrees. The container is put in the freezer for a while, after which the moonshine is drained, discarding what is frozen to the walls of the bottle. Bred vodka with distilled water to 40 degrees.
Moonshine Cleaning potassium permanganate and washing soda
Cleaning moonshine with soda and potassium permanganate helps to obtain a high-quality alcoholic drink without extraneous odors and impurities. For each liter of vodka, take 10 grams of washing soda, mix and put for half an hour, after which a solution of potassium permanganate is added at the rate of 2 grams per 50 grams of water and 1 liter of alcohol. After half an hour, soda is again added in the same proportions and left for 12 hours. Over time, the liquid is drained and distilled, diluted with distilled water.
Filters for cleaning moonshine
After the second distillation, the moonshine is filtered and bottled. The simplest filter is prepared as follows: three layers of gauze or cloth are placed in a large funnel, then cotton wool is placed, pure calcined sand is poured on top, and then gauze is again placed. If the sand layer is two centimeters, the filtration will occur at half a liter of vodka per hour. You can use such filters for cleaning moonshine, which purify water. You can buy them at any specialized store. They are installed in distillation apparatus in front of the container for the assembly of moonshine.
The harm of cleaning vodka soda
Many people believe that cleaning moonshine with soda can harm the human body. But this is only when they drink alcohol directly with this powder (when cleaning after the second distillation). In order for this product not to remain in alcohol, there is a second distillation. In addition, when using soda and potassium permanganate, you can ensure that the alcoholic drink is free from extraneous odors and fusel oils.
Cleaning moonshine with oil
This method also contributes to the elimination of fusel oils in moonshine. Refined vegetable oil that is odorless is suitable for this purpose. So, alcohol is diluted to 30 degrees, add vegetable oil (20 grams per 1 liter of vodka), shake well for three minutes three times, making small breaks. Cleaning moonshine with oil helps to produce a cloudy-colored drink. It is left until two layers are formed (oil will float up). It takes about 12 hours. Then the liquid is poured into a different container through a filter (how to do this, we considered above) and distilled again.
Thus, cleaning moonshine with soda or oil makes it possible to get pure alcohol, devoid of any extraneous odors and additives that are harmful to health. Finally, consider a few home-brewing recipes.
Moonshine from wheat
Ingredients : 6 kilograms of sugar, 5 kilograms of wheat, water.
Cooking
This home-brew recipe at home is known to almost everyone. First, they wash the groats, pour them into a container and fill with water, add 2 kilograms of sugar, cover and put for one week in a dark place. Then add the rest of the sugar and 15 liters of water, cover and put in a warm place again for 4 days. Then the mash is distilled for the first time, not forgetting that cleaning moonshine with soda is required, the second and third. And we already know how to do this.
Moonshine from sugar and yeast
Ingredients : 100 grams of yeast and 4 liters of water are taken per 1 kilogram of sugar.
Cooking
This home-made moonshine recipe is very simple and quite popular. So, sugar is poured into a suitable container, filled with cold water and mixed until it is completely dissolved. Then the yeast is kneaded and added to the liquid. From above, several grams of vegetable oil is poured onto the surface of the mash so that the foam does not form. Braga is put in a warm place for two weeks, after which it is distilled, purified, distilled again, filtered and bottled.