Moonshine house. Making homemade moonshine from scratch until fully prepared

Hello friends! Since you have looked at my blog, it means you are interested in making homemade alcohol. And I’m just sure that at least once you have had the question of how to make moonshine at home. That's what we'll talk about today.

Now I will quickly tell you the entire sequence of the process, and then we will talk in more detail about each stage. So, how is moonshine prepared?

First, prepare a special solution consisting of water and sugar. Sugar can be used either in its pure form, or any sugar-containing raw materials (berries, fruits, etc.) can be used. This solution is called wort.

The wort is then processed into mash using yeast. During fermentation, yeast eats sugar and produces ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide.

The mash already contains alcohol, but the percentage of it there is very low. Typically 8-12%. To extract alcohol from the mash, it is distilled moonshine still.

There is nothing complicated in this process. The whole point is that the mash is heated to a boil, and the steam that evaporates is cooled to a liquid state and poured into a separate container. This condensed liquid is our moonshine.

Then comes the purification of the moonshine. During the fermentation process, in addition to ethyl alcohol, by-products are also formed. yeast waste products. It is necessary to get rid of these impurities, because... they are harmful to health. Some even very much so. And these impurities greatly spoil the taste of the drink. We will talk about types and methods of cleaning in the section below.

The final and completely optional step is flavoring and tinting the moonshine. Moonshine is infused with various herbs and spices, which give it a rich color and smell.

I have listed the main stages of making moonshine. Nothing complicated, right? Now let's look at each point in more detail.

But before that, I want to note that all the stages mentioned are equally important. If the technology is not followed or low-quality raw materials are used, the output can result in a foul-smelling and even hazardous liquid.

Selection of raw materials

As already mentioned, sugar is used to prepare the wort. You can use sugar either in its pure form (granulated sugar), or use products containing sugar (berries, fruits, sugar beets, etc.). Makes delicious moonshine from old jam.

Also, starch-containing products (wheat, rice, rye, corn) in various types can be used as raw materials (for example flour). Starch itself is not subject to fermentation, but it is easily processed into sugar under the influence of enzymes contained in malt (sprouted grain). Or you can use industrial enzymes.

The quality of moonshine also depends on the quality of the raw materials used. A good drink from g…. will not work.

At home, the most accessible raw material for making wort is sugar. And the recipe is also simple.

I'll bring you classical:

1 kg of sugar is dissolved in 5 liters of water
Dissolve yeast (20 g dry or 100 g pressed) in a small amount of water at a temperature of 30°C
Mix the yeast in the sugar solution and let it ferment for several days.

Do you agree that it is very simple? But the quality of such moonshine... no, if made skillfully, it is not bad, it’s just inferior to drinks made from other raw materials.

A much tastier drink is obtained from mash made from fruit or berry raw materials. Even if you have to add sugar to the fruit must to increase the sugar content, it will still taste better.

A very good result comes from mash made with grains. It is not for nothing that GOST prescribes the production of alpha alcohol (the highest quality alcohol) only from grain raw materials. But preparing mash from cereals is much more difficult.

The resulting amount of alcohol per kilogram of product used also depends on the type of raw material. Below is a table that clearly demonstrates this. These figures are approximate; they are obtained by experienced moonshiners.

I would also like to note that you need to approach the choice of raw materials from the point of view of what kind of drink you want to get. So, to make whiskey you need to use grain; to make cognac or Georgian chacha, grape mash is used, and to make Calvados, apple mash is used.

Fermentation

After we have prepared the wort, it must be fermented, during which the yeast converts sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The quality and quantity of moonshine produced also greatly depends on the correct fermentation process.

Compliance with technology at this stage is very important. In the room where the fermentation tank is located, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature. Do not allow it to change. It is also necessary to monitor the temperature of the mash, because... During the fermentation process, it tends to heat up.

The optimal temperature for fermentation is 30-32°C (more about this Here). At a lower temperature, the fermentation process will slow down, and at a temperature below 18°C it will stop altogether (the yeast will fall asleep). Also, the mash should not be allowed to overheat above 40°C. This is much more dangerous than cooling, because... At this temperature the yeast will begin to die.

Depending on the selected raw material, yeast and temperature, the fermentation process can last from 1 to 14 days or more.

A little about yeast

In principle, any commercially available yeast is suitable for making mash. Pressed bakery products are very popular. You can also use dry yeast. But the best option is special alcohol and wine (cultured) yeast, which are sold in specialized stores for winemakers and moonshiners.

If you are preparing fruit or berry mash, then you can do without adding yeast at all. Wild yeast already lives on the surface of the fruit, which will take care of the process we need.

The fermentation period and the possible strength of the resulting mash depend on the type of yeast chosen. So bakery and wild fermented ones ferment 7-12% alcohol, wine (cultured) and alcoholic ones up to 12%. There are also special varieties of alcohol yeast, through which you can get a mash with 18% alcohol.

The topic of choosing yeast and the fermentation process itself is quite extensive and this article cannot cover it all. Read more in these individual articles:

What yeast to use

Hydraulic module for mash. What is it and what should it be like?

How to feed yeast

Recipe for sugar mash with dry yeast

Classic recipe for sugar mash with pressed yeast

Recipe for homemade jam

Wild Sam - a recipe for mash made with wild grain yeasts

A simple recipe for moonshine from flour (XOS technology + enzymes)

Clarifying mash with bentonite

How much moonshine should be made from mash?

Distillation

As I already wrote, in order to isolate alcohol from mash, i.e. To get moonshine, you need to distill this very mash. The distillation process is also called distillation, and the resulting product (moonshine) is called distillate. The mash is heated, and the steam released is condensed and poured into a separate container.

Distillation is carried out using a moonshine still. The classic design of such a device is quite simple. I give its schematic diagram below:

The principle of distillation is based on the fact that the boiling point of alcohol is lower than the temperature of water, of which the mash mainly consists. Therefore, when the mash is heated, the alcohol evaporates first (in fact, everything evaporates together, but in different quantities). In vapor form, it enters the coil, where it is cooled to a liquid state and flows into a collection container.

Now I will describe the classic distillation method. There are others, but don’t worry about them yet.

The first drops coming out of the device contain a high concentration of harmful substances. This liquid is called “pervach” or “heads” and is not consumed as food. The “heads” must be cut off, i.e. separate from moonshine. The number of heads is approximately 50 ml per 1 kg of sugar in the mash.

After “cutting off the heads,” the distillation process continues until the liquid leaving the distiller stops burning. This means that the strength of the moonshine that comes out has dropped below 40 degrees and then comes the “tails” - the non-food part that contains harmful and very smelly impurities. The tails are also cut off. Their quantity is approximately 100 ml per 1 kg of sugar used for making mash.

After distillation, moonshine with a strength of 30-50% is obtained. It can and should be distilled again to get a stronger and higher quality drink. But distillation still cannot produce pure alcohol; for these purposes, rectification is carried out. This is a topic for a separate discussion.

Homemade moonshine

If you don’t yet know how to make homemade tasty and high-quality moonshine, it’s time to master this process. Everything is simpler than it seems. It’s easy to understand why homemade moonshine and drinks based on it are so popular in our country and among our closest neighbors. Mixed here are the reluctance to pay five times more than alcohol actually costs, the low quality of store-bought products, the joy of making it yourself, and simply a spirit of contradiction. So, despite the growing store assortment and government quality control, there are more and more home distilleries.

Everything is simpler than it seems

To make moonshine in your kitchen or garage, you don’t need any special equipment or any skills or knowledge. You only need a little:

Utensils for preparing mash.
Factory or homemade moonshine still (at first you can get by with improvised means).
Knowledge of the recipe.
The simplest ingredients.
Compliance with technology.
Some free time.

If you have everything available and want to make moonshine at home, it’s time to start studying the theory.

Equipment and utensils for home distillery

To make homemade moonshine, first you will need a container for making mash. This can be a regular saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, but it is best to use a glass bottle. Through the glass you will be able to see how the fermentation is progressing, the clarity of the wort, and the precipitation of sediment. If you don't have one at home, you can easily order it. The optimal volume is 20–30 liters.

After the mash is ready, the most interesting part comes - making moonshine at home. This is done through distillation (rectification) in an apparatus, the simplest diagram of which you can see below.

Distillers who constantly distill moonshine at home and fight for quality acquire more complex equipment with a steamer, pressure and temperature meters. But at first, you can get by with this for cooking. Moreover: you can build a distillation installation from a saucepan and a basin (metal bowl), which you can find at home.

In addition to dishes and equipment, it is worth getting an alcohol meter: moonshine brewing at home involves removing fractions with a high content of harmful impurities. And here it will be difficult to do without a strength degree meter.

Preparing the brew

Before preparing moonshine, we need to obtain an alcohol-containing product - mash. There are dozens, or even hundreds of recipes online on how to make good mash from a variety of products, but the simplest one looks like this.

Required:

sugar - 5 kg;
water - 22 liters;
pressed yeast - 200 g (or 70 g dry inactive).

If you don’t yet know how to make moonshine at home, rather than in a laboratory or factory, this the option will be the easiest for you. The output will be a good preparation to get strong homemade moonshine - from 4.5 to 6 liters with a strength of at least 45°. The technology is also not complicated:

We dilute the sugar in 0.5 liters of warm (+25°–+30°C) water until completely dissolved, then crumble the yeast into it. Place in a warm (+30°C, but not higher!) place for approximately 30–60 minutes. During this time, active foaming should begin.
We also heat the remaining water to +25°C and pour the yeast mixture into it. Mix everything well and leave at t +25°–+27°C. We put a rubber glove with several punctures on the neck of the bottle - carbon dioxide will be removed through them. It takes about a week to make mash from the wort.

The end of fermentation is determined as follows:

foaming stopped;
there is no separation of carbon dioxide - the glove has fallen off;
You don't taste sugar, you taste alcohol.

the water should be settled, but not boiled or distilled, the wort in the bottle should occupy approximately 1/3, since the process involves active foaming.

Making a distillate

Now the most important phase has come - making moonshine at home. Pour the mash into the distillation cube and start heating. Since according to our recipe there will be no sediment (if there is, it needs to be filtered through cotton pads), the tank can be immediately heated strongly. The distillate output rate should be approximately 350–400 ml/hour.

For those who do not yet know how to make moonshine according to all the rules, it is necessary to explain that not everything will work. The expelled product is usually divided into three fractions:

The “head” is the product that is first obtained during distillation. It has a strength of 75° or more and contains a huge amount of fusel oils. It will be difficult to separate them, so we “cut off” this portion. It is 50 ml for every kilo of sugar that we threw into the mash. In our case - 250 ml.
"Body". When moonshine is distilled at home, it is this part that is taken for further processing (it can be consumed immediately). The minimum strength should be 40°. We check with an alcohol meter or see whether the expelled liquid burns or not (less than 40° it does not burn).
"Tail". This fraction also contains many harmful impurities. However, the “tails” can be used when preparing the next batch of mash.

Now that we have received a good product - the “body” fraction, we can bring it to mind.

Moonshine purification

Even with very high-quality equipment, during the initial distillation of the mash, completely get rid of components harmful to health will not be possible. So making moonshine at home requires mandatory purification of the resulting alcohol.

Here are the easiest ways to remove impurities:

Filtration through activated or regular carbon. You can throw it in a jar, let it react for 24 hours and strain it. You can install a funnel with a homemade (a layer of cotton wool, a layer of coal, another layer of cotton wool) or a purchased carbon filter at the outlet of the moonshine still.
Planting sediment using potassium permanganate. The maximum amount is 2 grams per 3 liters. After 2-3 days of settling, you need to filter the liquid, add baking soda, stand again and clean. Experts in the process recommend distilling the moonshine again after this.
Adding milk, settling and removing flakes through a filter.

This way you will get a fairly high-quality moonshine that will contain a small amount of harmful substances.

Softening the taste

If you decide to prepare moonshine at home in accordance with the best recipes, then

It is optimal to do secondary distillation and another stage of purification from harmful impurities. Your drink will be many times cleaner than what is offered in stores. However, even after this it may have a purely moonshine taste and excessive hardness.

To improve the characteristics of the drink, you can use various additives. There can be a lot of options here, but it’s best to add:

lemon;
citrus peels;
unshelled pine nuts;
walnut partitions;
burnt sugar.

Before cleaning and softening the finished moonshine, it should be diluted to a strength of no more than 40°. At a higher degree, the removal of impurities is less effective.

There is no limit to perfection

Now making moonshine is no longer something unknown and incomprehensible to you. At first, you should hone your skills and ensure that the product turns out really tasty and free of impurities. Well, when things get going, you can try out new recipes and even come up with your own. Surely friends and acquaintances will repeatedly and gratefully remember your branded liqueurs, homemade cognac and Calvados.

Making sugar moonshine can be called a classic of domestic moonshine. In terms of love and popularity among Russians, this alcohol is the undisputed leader. There are many recipes for sugar mash and distillation methods, but not all methods give good results. So that beginners do not waste precious raw materials, I will tell you how to properly brew moonshine at home. If you follow the technology, the drink will turn out better than most store-bought vodkas. We will consider in detail all the nuances of the process.

First, I advise you to take care of the cleanliness of the containers you use. The container should be rinsed with hot water and wiped dry with a clean cloth. The cleaner the bottles and pans, the higher the quality. Many novice moonshiners make the mistake of neglecting sterility, and then complain about a foreign smell or taste.

As an example, I will give the exact amount of ingredients that are needed to prepare just over 5 liters of forty-degree moonshine using classical technology:

sugar – 6 kg;
water – 24 liters;
dry yeast – 120 grams (or 600 grams pressed);
citric acid – 25 grams.

Sugar mash recipe

1. Calculation of proportions. First, let's decide on the amount of moonshine that is needed at the exit. At home, 1 kg of sugar produces 1.1-1.2 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40 degrees. But when making calculations, I advise you to increase the amount of ingredients by 10-15%, since for various reasons (temperature, quality of raw materials, improper distillation) the real yield is always less than the theoretical one by this amount.

For 1 kg of sugar add: 4 liters of water (plus another 0.5 liter if inverting is done) and 100 grams of pressed yeast or 20 grams of dry.

2. Inverting sugar. A very complex name refers to the preparation of ordinary sugar syrup with citric acid. The fact is that during fermentation, yeast first breaks down sugar into simple monosaccharides - glucose and fructose, and only then converts these substances into alcohol. Heating also kills pathogenic microorganisms on the surface of the sugar, which are waiting for more favorable conditions to reproduce (temperature and humidity). The activation of harmful microbes in the mash is undesirable, since it can negatively affect the smell.

Moonshine made from inverted sugar ferments faster and tastes better. Although the inversion step is considered optional, and most recipes only suggest dissolving the sugar in warm water, I still recommend boiling the syrup.

To invert sugar for mash, you need to do the following:

Heat 3 liters of water to a temperature of 70-80°C in a large saucepan.
Add sugar (6 kg) and mix slowly until a homogeneous mass is formed.
Bring the syrup to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface.
So slow(a lot of foam will appear) add citric acid (25 grams), reduce the heat on the stove to a minimum.
Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 60 minutes.

Ready syrup

3. Water preparation. A very important stage, during which the taste of the finished product is largely formed. Water for mash must meet hygienic standards and have no color, taste or smell.

Attention! Water for moonshine should not be boiled or distilled, as this will lead to the loss of oxygen needed by the yeast for fermentation.

4. Mixing ingredients. Pour the syrup prepared at stage 2 into a fermentation container, add cold water (24 liters). If using non-inverted sugar, dissolve it in warm water, stirring vigorously. In both cases, the optimal temperature of the finished mixture is 27-30°C.

The container cannot be filled to more than ¾ of the volume, otherwise during active foaming the mash may overflow over the edges and you will have to collect the product with a specific odor along the floor.

5. Adding yeast. Pressed yeast can be added directly to the container after kneading with clean hands. But it’s still better to first dissolve the briquette in a small amount of prepared wort (water and sugar), cover with a lid and wait until foam appears. Usually everything takes 5-10 minutes.

Before adding to the wort, dry yeast needs to be pre-activated. To do this, just strictly follow the instructions on the bag. In most cases, boiled water is cooled to 32-36°C, the required amount of dry yeast is added, covered with a lid, and the container itself is wrapped in thick cloth or placed in a warm place to maintain a stable temperature. After 20-40 minutes, a uniform foam cap will appear on the surface. This means that diluted dry yeast can be added to the wort.

When using baker's yeast, active foaming sometimes begins, which extends beyond the container. As a defoamer for mash, I recommend using crumbled half of a dry store-bought cookie or 10-20 ml of vegetable oil. Adding these products will not affect the quality of moonshine in any way.

The video shows a method for setting mash without inverting sugar with a hydromodule of 1:4.

6. Fermentation. Install a water seal on the bottle with mash and move it to a room with a stable temperature of 26-31°C (very important for normal yeast development). Braga made with inverted sugar has a pleasant caramel smell that does not spoil the air.

To maintain the temperature regime, cover the container with blankets or fur coats, insulate it with building thermal insulation materials, or install aquarium heaters with a thermoregulation system. Fermentation lasts from 3 to 10 days (usually 4-7). Every 12-16 hours I recommend shaking the mash for 45-60 seconds without removing the water seal. Thanks to shaking, excess carbon dioxide will evaporate, which interferes with the normal functioning of the yeast.

Signs that sugar mash is ready for distillation:

bitter taste (all sugar is processed by yeast into alcohol);
the release of carbon dioxide has stopped (the water seal does not gurgle);
the upper layers of the mash became lightened, and sediment appeared at the bottom;
the hissing stopped;
there is an alcohol smell;
a match brought to the mash continues to burn.

Use the signs comprehensively; you need at least 2-3 to appear at the same time, otherwise it’s easy to make a mistake. For example, an excess of sugar leads to the fact that the yeast dies before it has time to process everything. Most yeast fungi “fall asleep” at an alcohol concentration above 12%, so even the finished mash will remain sweet.

7. Degassing and clarification. Making the right moonshine is unthinkable without this stage. It's time to remove the sugar mash from the yeast sediment by pouring into a large saucepan through a straw, then heat to 50°C. High temperature kills remaining yeast and promotes the release of carbon dioxide from the liquid.

Pour the degassed mash back into the bottle and lighten it with bentonite (preferably) - natural white clay, which is sold in bags and as part of cat litter. Verified brands (at the time of publication): “Pi-Pi-Bent”, “WC Closet Cat”, “Kotyara”.

Bentonite

Attention! When choosing white clay, make sure that the composition does not contain aromatic additives that will irrevocably spoil homemade moonshine. Also, fermentation must be completely finished before clarification, otherwise the method will not work.

To clarify 20 liters of mash, you need to grind 2-3 tablespoons of bentonite in a coffee grinder and dissolve in 250 ml of warm water. Then stir and wait until the clay turns into a thick mass, reminiscent of rich sour cream. This takes 10-15 minutes.

Add bentonite to the mash, close the container tightly and shake vigorously for several minutes. Next, leave the mash alone for 15-30 hours, after which you can begin distillation.

The sediment should not be poured into the sewer; cement plugs may appear there, which are then difficult to eliminate.

The use of bentonite removes foreign impurities that did not precipitate during fermentation. As a result, the mash loses its unpleasant yeasty smell, and distilled moonshine is much easier to clean, since the clay removes most of the harmful substances.

Clarified mash

How to distill moonshine

8. First distillation. Drain the bentonite-clarified mash from the sediment into a distillation cube. The purpose of the first distillation is to separate the alcohol from other substances. Many novice and lazy moonshiners stop there, never having tasted the taste of real homemade moonshine made according to all the rules.

Distillation is performed over low heat. I propose immediately dividing the output into factions: “heads”, “body” and “tails”. Collect the first 50 ml per 1 kg of sugar in a separate container. According to our proportions, this is 300 ml of “pervak” - the head fraction, which can only be used for technical needs; due to harmful impurities, this distillate is hazardous to health.

Then select the “body” - the useful middle fraction, called raw alcohol. Stop sampling when the strength of the distillate (in the stream) drops below 40 degrees. It is better to determine the strength with an alcohol meter (necessarily at a temperature of 20°C), but you can also use the traditional method - while the distillate is burning in a spoon, continue sampling.

The last thing to collect in a separate container is the “tails” - the third fraction containing a lot of fusel oils. This distillate can be poured into the next mash (after removal from the sediment) to increase the strength or not collected at all, turning off the moonshine still after collecting the “body”.

9. Cleaning. Before the second distillation, the middle fraction (raw alcohol) needs additional purification from harmful impurities. There is no single generally accepted method; any can be used.

Purifying sugar moonshine with charcoal is considered natural and environmentally friendly, but with the right approach, for example, potassium permanganate with baking soda also gives good results. The main thing before cleaning is to dilute the distillate with water to 15-20 degrees so that the molecular bonds become weaker.

10. Second distillation. Pour the diluted raw alcohol (necessarily for fire safety purposes) into the distillation cube and begin distillation over low heat. As the first time, especially if you are brewing moonshine for yourself, cut off the “heads” - the first 50 ml for each kilogram of added sugar.

Immediately after selecting the first (head) fraction, it is advisable to replace the steam chamber if the module is provided for in the design of the moonshine still. Next, until the strength in the stream drops below 40 degrees, select the main product.

11. Dilution and settling. At the last stage, dilute homemade moonshine with water to the desired strength (usually 40-45%). To make the taste of the drink softer and more balanced, pour the finished product into bottles, cap it, and let it brew for 3-4 days in a cool, dark place. This time is enough for the completion of chemical reactions that occur when mixing liquids.

Stanislav shared the secrets of diluting alcohol with water especially for Alkofan.

Connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages will certainly not ignore such a well-known drink as moonshine. After all, moonshine can be considered a classic drink that you can prepare yourself, and its taste can be very diverse and it will meet the requirements of even the most demanding gourmets. Knowing the intricacies of the process and the characteristics of the composition will help you avoid mistakes.

Sugar mash

Braga, made from sugar and yeast, is considered the most popular alcoholic drink among Russian residents, and there are many varieties of it.

However, the process of its preparation should begin by studying some fairly simple recommendations that will allow you to obtain mash of the highest quality, free of foreign tastes and odors, and also characterized by absolute transparency, which should also be considered an important advantage of this drink.

Since it is often the presence of a foreign odor that is considered the main defect of home-made moonshine. it is precisely getting rid of it that should be considered a priority task before starting the moonshine process.

To ensure that the resulting sugar mash is aromatic, does not disappoint with its taste and does not require secondary purification, the following rules for preparing for the main process should be followed:

All containers that are required in the process of producing mash must be perfectly clean. Don’t be lazy, rinse with hot water and a sufficient amount of detergent all the pots, bottles and basins in which you plan to produce the mash, and you will be sure that your moonshine will pleasantly surprise everyone whom you decide to pamper with your own prepared drink;
after thorough rinsing, the container should be wiped with a clean cloth - this will also ensure that the resulting product is of the highest quality and has no foreign odor or taste;
strict adherence to the quantity of all components - this condition must also be observed as precisely as possible, since it is their ratio that makes the drink itself rich, having a clearly defined taste and smell.

Today, moonshine lovers are presented with many different recipes, which may differ both in the constituent components, their quantity and ratio, and in the stages and their sequence in the process of preparing moonshine. The recipe for moonshine may vary depending on the place of its production, the characteristics of the culture and even the natural conditions of the region where it is planned to begin making the mash.

Classic technology for making mash from sugar and yeast: amount of initial ingredients

Moonshine at home, which is prepared using classical technology, is of the highest quality, has no unnecessary odor or unpleasant taste, but is uniquely transparent and at the same time pleasant to the taste, made from the following components:

granulated sugar - 6 kg;
citric acid in the amount of 25 grams;
preferably purified drinking water - 18 liters;
yeast - dry 120 grams or compressed yeast 600 grams.

From the listed amount of ingredients you will get about 5 liters of amazingly tasty moonshine, and the resulting forty-degree drink will be delicious.

Classic mash recipe at home

The classic recipe has a number of specific features that are used when using any number of components and their combinations. The technology for producing mash made from granulated sugar, carried out at home, is quite simple.

Let's take a closer look at what steps should be completed so that your work is not in vain, and your time and effort are not wasted.

Calculation of proportions

To obtain mash at home, you should first calculate the amount you want to receive.

To more accurately calculate the required ingredients, you need to know that 1.1 liters of forty degree drink will be obtained from 1 kg of sugar. However, it often happens that due to the not entirely correct amount of initial ingredients, errors in distillation technology and poor adherence to temperature conditions. For this reason, you should change the recipe for moonshine, and take 10 percent more of all components than recommended.

In order for homemade moonshine to have a pronounced taste, the following ratio of components should be observed: for 1 kg of granulated sugar, take 3.5 liters of high-quality purified water, preferably not tap water (half a liter is added when inverting sugar), as well as yeast in the amount of 100 g if yeast pressed, or 20 g when the yeast is dry.

Sugar inversion process

Inversion, which is the production of syrup from granulated sugar, allows for a more complete breakdown of glucose and destruction of pathogenic microorganisms by raising the temperature. After all, it is microbes that worsen the taste of the resulting mash and at the same time can cause its spoilage.

Also, with the help of inversion, the fermentation process is improved, which greatly facilitates the work of the yeast, and also allows for more complete mixing of all components. And although many recipes only suggest stirring sugar in water, inversion is considered the most preferable option for producing high-quality moonshine.

The inversion process consists of several stages:

heating water - its temperature should be about 80°C;
6 kg of sugar is poured into three liters of heated water;
the syrup is then quickly brought to boiling point, and after 10 minutes 25 g of citric acid should be added to it;
After this, the syrup is boiled again for 1 hour.

Water - quality requirements

Since it is water that is the basis of mash, the moonshine recipe will be most successful when high-quality water was used: not hard, without any foreign taste or smell.

This can be achieved if the preparation of moonshine is based on purchased high-quality purified water. If tap water is used, then it should be collected in large containers, first left for several days and then carefully drained, leaving the resulting sediment at the bottom.

The process of mixing the constituent components

After receiving the sugar syrup, it is poured into a container in which fermentation will take place. Water at room temperature is added to the syrup with constant vigorous stirring. The final temperature of the mixture should be about 27°C.

After mixing the syrup and water, the resulting homogeneous mixture should not occupy more than 3/4 of the maximum volume of the container used, since during subsequent fermentation the foam may overflow.

Pitching Yeast

For a more active action, the yeast should first be kneaded with your hands, placed in a small container with warm water, then left for a short amount of time (about 10 minutes) - this is necessary to begin the fermentation process. This applies to compressed yeast.

Dry yeast should also be pre-soaked in warm boiled water, left until maximum dissolution, and then wrapped and placed in a warm time. After about 40 minutes, a stable cap of foam appears on the surface - this is an indication that the yeast is active and the fermentation process has begun.

If, when using dry baker's yeast, too active foaming occurs, you should add a small amount of cookies to the container to activate the yeast: this will not negatively affect the quality of the mash. Moonshine at home will now retain its excellent qualities and delight you with its excellent taste.

Fermentation process

Next, moonshine brewing at home continues by transferring the filled containers to a room where a constant temperature is maintained, the most optimal for the active work of yeast is 25-30 ° C. The use of invert sugar allows you to obtain mash with a pleasant taste and caramel smell.

The containers in which fermentation occurs must first be equipped with water seals. Also, to maintain a constant temperature, containers are wrapped in warm clothes (blankets, fur coats, building insulating materials), and an aquarium temperature maintainer can also be used.

The duration of fermentation is about 3-11 days, most often the end of this process is observed already on days 5-8. Shaking containers with mash after 10-12 hours allows you to speed up the process and also remove excess gas from the mixture.

the process of foam formation stops;
a lit match brought to the table does not go out;
there is an alcohol smell;
the resulting liquid tastes bitter, which indicates the end of the transition of sugar to alcohol.

The integrated use of the listed signs can help you avoid making mistakes in determining the readiness of the mash.

Lightening the mash

Using natural white clay, or bentonite, allows you to lighten the resulting mash and eliminate excess carbon dioxide.

To do this, the mash is drained from the yeast sediment and then heated. High temperatures kill any remaining yeast.

Now the mash is poured back into the container, bentonite is added to it and the resulting mash is clarified. Bentonite is first crushed using a coffee grinder, then mixed with water at a low temperature until the consistency of liquid sour cream is formed and the resulting mixture is poured into the mash. Intensive stirring allows for the best possible cleansing and clarity of the mash. Next, the mash is left completely alone for 25-30 hours.

Pour the cleaned mash into a container; the sediment should not be poured into the sewer, as it can harden and turn into a hard-to-break cement plug that is difficult to remove and creates serious problems in the sewer.

The process of obtaining moonshine

Moonshine at home is distilled from the resulting and purified mash, which is ready for use. To do this, you must also follow a certain sequence of actions.

First distillation

This process is to extract as much alcohol as possible.

To do this, the clarified mash is poured into a distillation cube, the fire is turned on low, and individual fractions are separated. The first of them, “head”, is 50 ml and is the most harmful to health. It can be used strictly for technical purposes.

Homemade moonshine does not need additional advertising. Ease of production and accessibility, low cost of the necessary components - all this contributes to the fact that an increasing number of Russians are interested in methods and recipes on how to make it at home tasty and suitable for a feast with friends.

Making moonshine with your own hands is quite simple:

sugar or starchy products pour warm water th in a certain ratio;
are added yeast to convert mash components into alcohol;
the finished mash is distilled through a moonshine still for separating alcoholic beverages;
homemade alcohol is possible clear, give practically any taste and aroma.

Knowing the basic principles of how to brew moonshine, you can easily prepare a high-quality alcoholic drink.

For the moonshine distillation process The following equipment is required:

for running or bulk water, the design of which is significantly different. The distribution network presents various models of units at almost every taste and budget client.
Alembic, which can be used as steamers, cans, pots, buckets, equipped with a lid in which it is necessary to drill a hole for a tube that discharges alcohol vapor into the coil. The preferred material is stainless steel, but enamel cookware is also possible. The container must withstand heat and not oxidize.
Connecting tubes, preferably copper or stainless steel.
When distilling moonshine with a jug, it is ensured cleaning and flavoring finished product.
Container for sealing mash(glass bottles, plastic or metal containers are used).
Water seal, impervious to oxygen. You can use a simple rubber glove that fits over the neck of the bottle.
Wooden spoon to stir the mash.

Tools also needed:

alcohol meter to measure the strength of the resulting product;
thermometer to regulate temperature requirements;
saccharometer to control the amount of sweet product in the mash.

note! Properly distilled homemade moonshine quality is not inferior, and sometimes even surpasses factory-made alcoholic drinks.

Composition - what ingredients are used in moonshine brewing?

At home, you can brew moonshine from products containing starch or sugar. During fermentation, these components turn into alcohol. The distillation of alcohol and the yield of the final product depends on the amount of processed components and the strength of the drink.

Fermentation is provided by yeast of natural or artificial origin. “Wild” yeast fungi are found on the surface of unwashed fruits and berries collected in sunny weather. They ensure slow fermentation of the product. You can also use malt, produced from sprouted grains, hops.

prepare a saturated sugar solution (2 kg of sweets per 1 liter of water);
boil down with slow heating to half the volume of liquid;
Citric acid is added to prevent crystallization.

The method promotes cleaning the mash from living microorganisms, the activity of which can worsen the taste of an alcoholic drink. In addition, yeast reacts faster with sugar prepared in this way.

How to prepare mash for moonshine?

It is believed that it is better for a person to drink a drink containing alcohol 38-42% , but often the recipe calls for much higher:

Georgian (chacha) from 70°;
tinctures – from 45°;
– from 70°;
– up to 75°.

Important! To obtain such a high-quality drink, double or triple distillation (distillation) of the mash is required.

There are a lot of recipes on how to properly brew moonshine, but every craftsman, by slightly changing the ingredients or procedure, gets a new flavor bouquet every time.

Water required medium hard, it is better to use bottled one, which is sold in retail chains. You can use spring or well water.

How to put on tap water:

collect the required amount of liquid into a clean container;
stand, covering the neck with gauze, for at least a day at room temperature;
heat to 35-40°С, dissolve in it the required amount of sugar according to the recipe;
fill the mash vessel 3/4 full so that when foaming the liquid does not overflow;
add yeast;
install a water seal, cover the container with a thick cloth that retains heat.

The drink is checked according to the following criteria:

the liquid has become transparent, sediment has collected at the bottom of the container;
a clear alcoholic aroma has appeared; a match lit above the surface does not go out;
the mash became bitter, gas bubbles stopped being released.

The liquid should be carefully drained from the residue and poured into the distillation cube.

How to make moonshine?

When the mash is ready, the problem arises of how to properly distill the liquid to obtain a high-quality product.

Must be observed following conditions:

not used for food first 50 ml moonshine, called " head" The product is used for technical purposes;
liquid below 40° (“tails”) add to the next portion of mash to increase the yield of the finished drink;
The middle part is used for drinking "body", which contains fewer harmful impurities.

At what speed to distill moonshine is determined individually. Primary requirements:

the liquid should flow in a continuous stream;
the final product is cold;
no additional alcohol vapors escape from the coil;
no loud gurgling can be heard in the distillation cube.

Usually, after the mash boils, the heating is reduced by half.

Finished Product Cleaning

The rules on how to distill moonshine to make a drink of good quality are supplemented by the obligatory requirement of homemade alcohol. The following methods are used for this:

filtering liquid through several layers of gauze;
disinfection, activated;
cleansing the drink with chicken egg whites and kefir.

Can combine all methods in turn.

It should be remembered that good moonshine is obtained only from high-quality raw materials. It is better for novice moonshiners to adhere to generally accepted requirements when brewing homemade alcohol. Masters of their craft, as a result of constant experiments, create new ones, which over time become public property.