In 2019, the minimum retail price of vodka will increase from 205 to 215 rubles. This is due to increased excise taxes on alcohol. Most buyers ignore too cheap vodka in stores and prefer to take goods from the middle price category. Therefore, for a bottle of “little white” with a capacity of 0.5 l and a standard strength of 40%, the average Russian will pay 250-350 rubles.
The price is not too high if a person buys no more than 1-2 liters per year. But with the more frequent use of strong alcohol, people begin to think about how to produce homemade vodka themselves, or, more simply, moonshine. The cost of this drink is not too large, in addition, if you gain experience, you can get high-quality home-made alcohol with a minimum content of fusel oils. The taste and aroma of moonshine can be improved with various additives - berries, coffee beans, fruits, herbs, nuts, bark and oak chips, etc. Russian legislation allows the production of moonshine for personal use in low-capacity plants (less than 2000 liters per year) .
Let's try to calculate the cost of 1 liter of moonshine. In fact, at every stage of the production of home-made alcohol you will have to face your own costs.
What is moonshine made of?
The cost of moonshine depends primarily on the raw materials used. Some distilleries put mash without sugar and yeast based on products from their own garden, for example, apples, sugar beets, potatoes, seasonal berries. Of course, all these products also have their own value, since their cultivation required certain costs for seeds, tools, fertilizers, etc. In addition, each gardener spends a lot of personal time on caring for crops.
It is very difficult to calculate the real value of mash from your own products. Therefore, for the calculation we will take the classic sugar mash. In this case, the cost price of a liter of moonshine is much easier to determine.
What is the cost of homemade alcohol
The technological process of making homemade strong alcohol consists of three main stages:
- Making mash.
- Distillation and secondary distillation (if necessary).
- Cleaning moonshine.
In addition, many distilleries insist alcohol on nuts, berries and herbs, which leads to an increase in the cost of moonshine. This step is optional, so we won’t include it in the final cost estimate.
Each stage of production requires its own costs. But initially you need to stock up on all the necessary equipment.
Initial cost
The cost of a starter kit for making strong alcohol can vary greatly. Some people assemble a distillation unit from improvised materials, and it costs them 500 rubles, which is mainly spent on the purchase of a large tank for mash and some small items, like a silicone hose and medical gloves (similar to a water seal). Others do not spare money and buy a full-fledged mini-factory for the production of alcohol with full automation of all the main stages.
But most people stop at a minimum starting set, which consists of the following elements:
- A plastic tank with a capacity of 30-40 liters with an opening on the lid for a water lock - 300 rubles.
- A water lock complete with a rubber stopper of the desired diameter - 100 rubles.
- Plastic crane for cutting into a fermentation tank - 200 rubles.
- Moonshine still (10-12 l) - 5000 rubles.
- Silicone hose (diameter 6-10 mm, length 4-5 m) - 200 rubles.
- Household alcohol meter - 100 rubles.
Total, for the initial purchase of equipment you need to spend 5900 rubles. We round them up to 6,000 rubles to take into account price fluctuations in different stores.
All this amount should be taken into account when determining the cost of moonshine at home. This is quite difficult to do, as some people make a one-time batch and abandon this business, while others use the equipment at full capacity.
To simplify the calculation, we use average indicators. The moonshine still is designed for 5 years of use (in fact, it can also serve 15-20). If you produce 20 liters of moonshine per year, then you need to add 60 rubles to the cost of each liter. And if you produce 50 liters, then for depreciation of equipment you need to lay only 10 rubles per liter.
Cost of mash
How to calculate the cost of moonshine? From sugar, yeast and water, the mash is originally prepared according to the classic recipe. These products take into account the majority of winemakers when calculating costs.
Inexpensive alcohol yeast can be bought for 70 rubles. for 100 gr. Wholesale sugar - from 33 rubles. per kilogram. In retail stores - 43 rubles. The cost of tap water is approximately 40 rubles. per cubic meter. When calculating the cost of mash, this value can be neglected, since for every liter of raw materials you need to lay only 4 kopecks.
Now we’ll calculate: 10 liters of water will require 3 kg of sugar and half a pack of dry alcoholic yeast, which will result in 12 liters of alcoholic wort.
The result - 164 rubles.
From 12 liters of mash, on average, 1.2 liters of pure alcohol are obtained, which is equal to 2.8 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40%. Part of this volume can be safely thrown back to losses during the second distillation, as well as to the “head” and “tails”, which are not intended for use. Clean will come no more than 2.5 liters.
Total: the cost of mash for one liter of moonshine - 66 rubles. We round them up to 70 rubles.
Distillation
An important part of the cost of moonshine is energy costs. It is quite problematic to calculate them, since distilleries use different plants that differ in volume, power, and wall thickness. Some people prefer to place the apparatus on gas stoves during distillation, others on electric ones. There are installations with a built-in heating element.
Experienced moonshiners claim that the consumption of electricity for the forcing of one liter is 1-2 kW / h. That will be 3.5-7 rubles. In double distillation, the amount doubles accordingly.
You also need to consider the flow rate of water for cooling. On average, it is 0.5 cubic meters per 30 liters of alcoholic wort. With double distillation - 1 m³. Therefore, for every liter of moonshine you need to lay 6 rubles.
Cleaning
What else affects the cost of moonshine? From sugar and yeast in the process of fermentation, many harmful impurities are formed, which must be disposed of. The easiest way to clean homemade alcohol is to clean it with activated carbon.
The cost of the drug is 330 rubles. for large packaging, designed for 30 liters. It turns out 11 rubles. for every liter of alcohol.
Final costing
The total cost of a liter of moonshine consists of the following figures:
- Braga - 70 rubles.
- Electricity (including double distillation) - 7 rubles.
- Water for cooling (taking into account double distillation) - 6 rubles.
- Cleansing - 11 rubles.
- Depreciation of equipment - 10 rubles.
Total cost: 70 + 7 + 6 + 11 + 10 = 104 rubles.
This figure can vary within ± 10%, depending on the specific prices in the region for food and energy.