Features and rules for distilling grain mash. Five recipes for barley mash for whiskey and moonshine. Proper distillation of mash into moonshine step by step. How to distill at home? Grain distillation

The alchemical process of obtaining moonshine is divided into several stages. Each is important in its own way and requires a painstaking approach and attention to detail from the moonshiner. The last, final stage of distilling the elixir from the mash is the most important. Any, even the most insignificant mistake, will lead to a decrease in the taste of the final product, or even harm your health.

Moonshining is an art and a science rolled into one. Each discipline has its own rules and formulas that must be followed in order to get excellent results. By strictly following the postulates described below, the distiller will receive nectar of decent appearance and taste.

A brew that has had a good time according to all the rules is not yet an indicator of its readiness for distillation. Preparatory activities for distillation must be carried out with special care. Color and taste are important, as well as the content of impurities in the finished wort. Below we will give special recommendations that will have a positive impact on the quality of the final fiery product.

Degassing, removing the acidity of the mash before starting the process

When components such as grain, fruit or sugar are used as a leaf base for mash, an increased content of carbon dioxide is formed in the infusion. Degassing is a set of actions aimed at eliminating effervescence. The fact is that yeast bacteria are involved in the molecular breakdown of glucose. As a result of this splitting, gas and ethyl alcohol are obtained.

To remove gas during the fermentation stage, potion masters install a water seal with an outlet or a medical glove on the fermentation tank. Thus, excess CO2 comes out, but not all. They are stored in large quantities in the wort itself in the form of effervescent bubbles.

The moonshiner’s task is to get rid of the “gassed” state of his mash.

Reference! If distillation is started without ridding the liquid of excess gas, the apparatus may begin to “choke” and spit out some of the mash into the distillate. Such “spitting” will make the nectar cloudy and will qualitatively reduce its taste.

Some winemakers leave the fermentation tank open for some time, but in this case, souring begins. If your goal is to obtain a high-quality drink, then “acidification” will negate all the work.

The practice of home brewing distinguishes two ways to remove excess carbon dioxide: thermal and manual (mechanical).

According to the laws of physics, most gases rush upward when heated. You can pour the mash into a large container and heat it over low heat to a temperature of 45-55 degrees. At the same time, do not forget to constantly stir the liquid. When the hissing and rising of bubbles from the bottom stops, you can remove it from the stove. This method will save time and prevent the onset of “acidification.”

The manual method requires the “expulsion” of gases by prolonged stirring of the wort. Having a hammer drill with a clean mixing attachment will speed up the work. Five minutes of drilling and you're done!

Reference! With degassed leaf liquid, you can fill the distillation cube to 80% of the volume without fear of spitting into the distillate!

Lightening at home

Another important process before distilling moonshine is removing impurities from the mash and making it transparent. There are several ways to clarify wort. Over many years of practice, moonshiners have chosen the following products:

• tea rose (hibiscus)
• citric acid (lemon)
• food-grade cleanser designed for moonshiners (betonite)
• filter paper
• gelatin

All of the above methods are good for removing turbidity. Filter paper or gelatin will leave the aroma intact and will not affect the taste of the final product. Although hibiscus will cleanse the mash of impurities, it will take away all the aroma. Betonite is best suited for clarifying your wort. It is made from white clay and is an environmentally friendly product. Natural clarifier should be used at the rate of 1.5 tablespoons per 10-12 liters of mash.

First sublimation into raw alcohol

There is no clear method for conducting the first distillation of moonshine. Each alchemist follows his own method depending on the raw materials and the desired quality of the final elixir. The purpose of the first distillation is to separate the alcohol from the insoluble components of the mash. Distillers were divided into two opposing camps. Some claim that the separation of the “tops” and tails during the first distillation is not necessary, while others insist on a factional division.

Important! The cleaner your product is from various impurities, the higher the taste it will have. If you want to get a high-quality distillate, then take the trouble to strictly follow the rules of “division into fractions” from the first distillation.

Rapid distillation without collecting heads and tails

With prolonged temperature exposure to yeast and impurities in the wort, the quality of the product falls like a snowball from a mountain. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out the first distillation at maximum power in a short period of time. During rapid distillation, the division into the three main components of moonshine (heads, body, tails) is not carried out.

Technology:

Place the distillation container on the fire and add water. The heating power should be maximum and not drop. After the mash boils, remove the distillate until it drops to 7-10 degrees in a stream.

Important! The degree of moonshine is measured at a temperature not exceeding 23 degrees. If the cooling system is working properly, then the distillate coming out in the stream will not exceed the threshold value of 25-30 Celsius.

By faction

This method will help you get higher quality moonshine.

Step by step

• Pour the clarified and filtered mash into a distillation container, close it and supply water to the coil.
• Heat the mash to 60 degrees and immediately reduce the power when the first stream appears.
• Separate the “heads” fraction.

For every kilogram of sugar, select 35 grams of “tops” (heads). If 4 kilos of sugar were used in the process of making the mash, then the selection of the first fraction is: 140 grams (4 kg x 35 = 140). These grams contain unusable and harmful substances. Continue collecting the “golden mean” until the drop reaches 40 degrees. Everything below is the “ends” (tails).

Reference! The popular name for moonshine of the first distillation is “Pervak” or “Pervach”. Although the drink, hellish in its composition, is glorified in legends, it cannot be consumed. Content fusel oils, will make the hangover unbearable.

The body obtained after collecting the “tops” is raw alcohol. Has a cloudy tint. You can use it, but the quality will be low. If you set out to obtain nectar, you should not be content with a surrogate.

How to properly perform the second distillation

The degree of the “golden ratio” (the collected body of moonshine) will be high. Therefore, you should dilute it with clean filtered or spring water to 25-35 strength. A necessary condition distillate purification is also involved.

Filtration

First oil cleansing

For each liter of raw alcohol, add 25 - 35 ml. refined oil. Shake well and leave to rest for 10-15 hours. After the specified time has passed, pass the liquid through a cotton or gauze filter.

Coal

Take a watering can and place a cosmetic cotton pad at the bottom. Pour a sufficient amount of any coal on top and pass the alcohol base through it.

If free time allows, you can alternately carry out oil and carbon filtration.

Experienced craftsmen suggest cleaning mash using baking soda. The process is incredibly simple and allows you to preserve the taste of the nectar. For 5 liters of distillate diluted to 30 degrees, you will need only 2 teaspoons without a slide of soda. After 10 hours of settling, the primary elixir is driven through a cotton pad and distillation begins.

Instructions: The instructions are practically no different from the initial distillation, with the exception of some features.

Steps:

• “The slower you drive, the tastier you’ll get.” The rate of displacement of the primary “tops” should be as low as possible. With this approach, the elixir will taste mild.
• For the second distillation, increase the volume of collected “heads” to 50 ml. for 1 kilo sugar.
• Replace the container and bring the heating temperature to 73-76 degrees.
• The “body” is selected up to a threshold strength of 43-46. The lower tails also contain a high concentration of toxic oils and should not be used for drinking.

At the exit, the nectar will delight you with a strength of 52-63. You can dilute it with well or spring water, or you can leave it as is.

Cleaning after distillation

The last stage of preparing an alchemical masterpiece. Moonshiners have not developed a unified methodology and there is room for imagination to run wild. By the way, mostly only low-quality moonshine is purified. If you were unable to obtain a decent looking and tasting drink even after repeated distillation, then best recommendation will overtake it a third time.

The 11th century Chinese alchemist became famous for his nine-fold method of repeated distillation. The result was a drink that people endowed with exceptional healing properties.

Important! If you distill with a steamer, you will have to spend much less effort on cleaning.

We also have a separate article where it is described in detail!
To rid the drink of excess impurities and unselected oils, current distillers use:

• egg white
• potassium permanganate (aka potassium permanganate)
• rye flour bread
• low temperature method. Freezing in a metal tank

Dilution with water

The process of adding water and bringing the drink to the desired degree should be approached very responsibly.

There are several most important rules to follow:

Moonshine is diluted only with clean, spring or well water. In extreme cases, bottled water will do. Under no circumstances should you use tap water or boiled water. In the first case, it is too contaminated, and the drink will become cloudy, and in the second, it is practically “dead”. A good solution would be to use liquid from a well drilled on your site.

Reference! If it is not possible to use any of the above liquids, then dilute it with tap water, but then be sure to pass it through a carbon filter.

• Reduce the degree only once. Do not add water “a little bit at a time.”
• Temperature matters. Too warm, as well as too cold, can spoil your nectar. 18-20 Celsius is considered optimal.

Important! There is a law of physics that says: Moonshine into water, and not vice versa! By observing it, the quality and taste of the product will be preserved.

By pouring the distillate into water, the mixing process occurs without thermal reaction and the formation of third-party formations. This results in a high-quality product. And if you pour water into alcohol, then H2O is destroyed by the molecular composition of ethanol, releasing a large amount of heat. At the same time, the remaining remains of essential oils find their way out, which ruins all the work done previously.

• It is necessary to give the drink a “vacation”. Freshly diluted distillate should not be consumed.
• The process of stirring and combining lasts from 4 to 7 days.
• Nectar is kept exclusively in glass.
• Plastic, even food grade, even with assurances from experts about safety, is toxic and will distort the bouquet of the distillate, adding several harmful chemical compounds to it.
• The drink should rest in a warm and dry room.

To avoid the formation of formic and acetic acid, the nectar is poured “to the brim.” You cannot leave even a few millimeters of free space.

You can embellish the distillate you have learned by flavoring it with notes or aroma of rum. To do this, you can infuse it with aloe or add a pinch of spices at your discretion.

Application of heads and tails

The use of the initial and final fractions is contraindicated. But the content ethyl alcohol they are very high and a real owner will be able to find use for them in everyday life.

The top can be used as an “anti-freeze agent” in car glass cleaning fluid. “Heads” perform well as solvents. Stubborn stains can now be easily removed without purchasing stain removers. The first fraction is perfect for lighting a fire or barbecue coals.

“Ends” or “tails” are suitable for various homemade tinctures for rubbing into the skin and all kinds of compresses. Many potion masters use the final fraction for re-distillation, adding it to a new brew. However, the quality of the product decreases, the taste becomes “cheaper”, and the color requires purification.

Now you know all the subtleties and nuances of moonshine brewing. Each skill requires regular repetition from the master. Only after doing the described procedure several times will you be able to “get your teeth into” and add your own experience to the process. After all, the alchemy of moonshine also requires imagination.

You should not be limited by the rigidity of rules and dogmas in this science, because the basic alchemical law says: “Dilute and mix.”

Video: rectification step by step

Look at the instructions for proper distillation of mash:

Moonshine made from grain is of the highest quality. By the way, according to GOST R 56368-2015, moonshine is an alcoholic drink, in the manufacture of which it is used grain mash, then the distillate has the aroma of the raw materials used. There are no other options!

Most often used:

• wheat. At the same time, the distillate is soft and slightly sweet;
• rye gives a strong bready aroma;
• barley moonshine resembles whiskey, and when infused in oak barrel– almost indistinguishable in taste from its Irish-Scottish counterpart;
• Bourbon is made from corn.

In terms of organoleptic indicators, grain moonshine is superior to sugar moonshine: it is more pleasant to drink, it has a pronounced taste, and does not have a fusel aroma (see others).

Sugar is hidden in cereal grains and there is enough of it, but in the form of starch, which yeast is not able to directly convert into alcohol.

There is another way - adding crystalline sugar and yeast to the grain mash. But this method is controversial: you will get a distillate and it will even have a slight grainy tint (depending on the cereal used), but the sugars present in the grains will not be involved in creating alcohol. That is, such a distillate will not be as good as that created by natural malting.

Attention! It is not necessary to germinate all the grain intended for making mash. Practice shows that 1 kg of malt can saccharify 3-4 kg of dry grain.

However, supporters of organic moonshine prefer to germinate all grains, selecting only products with a germination rate of 90 percent or higher.

Green or dried malt is used in moonshine brewing.

Reference. Green malt is freshly sprouted grain, ground (can be done in a meat grinder) along with the sprouts. Dried - only the grain, sprouts and roots are removed after drying. This can be done with a construction mixer.

Distillation of grain mash

It is advisable to distill the grain mash twice. The first time - without division into factions. The second time, diluting the resulting raw alcohol to 20°, with the selection of heads, bodies and tails into separate containers. Moreover, the maximum number of heads is determined - up to 100-120 ml from 1 liter of absolute alcohol.

The calculation of absolute alcohol (which contains conventional 100% ethylene, which does not happen in nature, but it is more convenient to calculate this way) is carried out according to the formula. The amount of raw alcohol obtained, converted into milliliters, is divided by 100, then multiplied by the actual strength.

For example, you have 6 liters of distillate with a strength of 45°. 6000:100x45=2700. That is, you have 2.7 liters of absolute alcohol. Process technology:

1. Heads should be taken 270-300 ml. Watch the thermometer on still. When the temperature reaches 68°C, reduce the heat and watch when the first drops of distillate appear. These are heads filled with acetone and the most harmful methyl and amyl alcohols. They should be taken drop by drop, avoiding a stream.

Attention. Experienced distillers prefer to select half the total number of heads during the first distillation.

1. When the temperature reaches 78°C, the ethyl alcohol we need begins to evaporate. add a little so that there is a thin stream and select the distillate until the strength in the stream reaches 40°. In order not to make mistakes, the following methods are used:

• parrot use. It can be purchased or homemade, but it is better to use an electronic thermometer, which shows the real strength taking into account the temperature of the distillate. Bimetallic or glass will be slightly distorted, since moonshine usually flows warmer than the reference 20°C;
• arson in a spoon. Take the dripping distillate into a spoon. Approximately mark the quantity and set it on fire. If half burns out and goes out, this is a strength of about 40°;
• flame color. To do this, set fire to a piece of paper (for example, a strip of newspaper folded in four, soaked under a stream of moonshine. At a distillate strength of 60-70 degrees, the color of the flame is blue, the fire is strong and high. At 40°, many red reflections appear in the flame, it does not burn for long. If below 30° — flashes red and goes out.

1. The tails are selected to a strength of 20°. In the future, they can be added to the next mash during the first distillation, which will increase the yield of raw alcohol. But many prefer not to select them at all, considering it a waste of effort and energy.

Carefully. It is not used to produce grain moonshine. distillation columns, since they, together with fusel oils, take away from moonshine the natural smell and taste of the grain base, for which everything is started.

Sugar grain mash

This mash does not require the purchase or creation of malt, but produces moonshine with a pleasant grainy aftertaste, and a grainy note is felt in the aroma. Try making grain mash using scattered sourdough.

You will need:

• 5 kg of grain (wheat, barley, rye, or a mixture in any proportions).
• 5 kg of sugar.
• 22-25 liters of water.

Divide the preparation of mash into several stages:

1. The choice of grain does not have to be as careful as for malt, since it does not need to be germinated. The main thing is that it should not be treated with any compounds, since confusion may not result. Forage will also work; rinse it thoroughly several times and remove any floating debris.
2. Add 1 kg of sugar to the grain. Fill with water so that the level is 1-2 cm above the grain layer. If water is absorbed, add more to the same level. At this stage, up to 5 liters of water from the total amount will be used.
3. Leave in an open container (cover with gauze to prevent insects) for 3-5 days. During this time, the smell of fermentation should appear, and foam will appear when shaking.
4. Add any remaining sugar and water according to the recipe. Leave in a warm place (preferably under a water seal) for 7-15 days. It is advisable to stir it once every 2 days. During fermentation, most of the grain will float. The end of fermentation is indicated by the settling of the grains (not all) downwards and the clarification of the wort.
5. Taste the mash. If it is bitter and you don’t feel any sugar at all, you can carefully remove the sediment, strain through a sieve (gauze) and distill.

Carefully. It is not recommended to clarify grain mash with bentonite, since it takes away the aroma.

You can also put sugar mash with the addition of grain in regular alcoholic or baker's yeast, using the usual proportions: for every kilogram of sugar - 100 g of raw or 20-25 g of dry yeast. But in this case, the grain aroma will be less pronounced.

Please note. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make excellent mash 2-3 times if you immediately put a new mash on the strained residue. But no more than 4 times!

Barley mash - preparation for cooking

One of the most popular grains for making homemade alcohol is barley. Moreover, moonshine can be prepared without adding sugar and industrially produced yeast.

The role of sugars necessary for the production of alcohol is taken over by starch, which is converted into a form digestible by yeast through the use of malt and malting of the mash.

Malt

The easiest way is to buy ready-made malt in a specialized store. But it’s quite a feasible task to cook it yourself. To do this:

1. Choose quality barley. At least 4 months must have passed from the time of collection, but it should not be older than 2 years. Check germination: soak 100 grains, then count the number of germinated ones. At 95 or more, germination is excellent, if less than 80, there’s no point in fooling around, this result is unsatisfactory. Buy another barley.
2. Rinse and remove any floating husks.
3. Fill with water 3-4 cm above the grain. Change the water 3 times throughout the day.
4. Drain the water completely and spread the wet grain in a layer up to 10 cm. Cover the top with damp gauze and leave at 12-20°C.
5. Gently stir the grain with your hands every day. This is necessary to remove carbon dioxide, which can lead to mold. Spray the dried grain with a spray bottle.
6. Germination lasts from 6 to 10 days. During this time, the sprouts should begin to become entangled. Bite the grain. It becomes soft, slightly bitter and tastes like cucumber.
7. This is green malt. And there are two ways for him:

• use in this form. Grind the grain together with the sprouts in a meat grinder and get malted milk, which must be used immediately, since long-term storage no such product is provided;
• drying at 40°C followed by separation of sprouts. The result will be dry malt. To use it in the future, grind the grain using a special malt mill.

Leaven

To avoid using commercially produced yeast, which can add an unpleasant aftertaste to the finished product, it is better to use wild yeast found on the grain shell. That is, make a leaven, due to which it will happen alcoholic fermentation malt:

• about 200 g of barley, rinse it and place it in a layer of up to 3 cm on the bottom of the jar;
• pour lukewarm water a couple of centimeters above the barley;
• cover the container with a cloth and leave it in a cabinet in the room;
• When the grains hatch, add 100 g of sugar.
• After 5 days to a week, signs of fermentation will appear: the starter will emit a hiss and smell. Ready to fill the mash.

Barley mash recipes

Braga made with barley demands more attention than sugar, however, the result will please you much more. Properly prepared, it significantly surpasses in taste both other types of homemade alcohol and elite varieties of vodka.

From barley and sugar sourdough

You will need:

• 4 kg of barley grain or cereal;
• 1 kg of green malt;
• 1 kg sugar;
• 21 liters of water;
• 50 g dry yeast or 500 g sourdough (according to the recipe above).

If you take grain, it needs to be ground (preferably finer) and saccharified. That is, convert starch into simple sugars. To do this:

• Sprout 1 kg of barley.
• Heat water to 55°C at the rate of 4.5 liters per kilogram of cereal.
• Carefully pour the cereal into it, stirring so that there are no lumps. As a last resort, use a mixer.
• Heat the resulting mixture to 58°C, cover and leave for 15 minutes.
• Preheat to 65°C, hold for another 15 minutes.
• Bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. At the end the mass should be smooth and homogeneous.
• Cool to 65°C.
• While the mixture is cooling, prepare the malted milk. Grind the green malt in a meat grinder with a fine mesh and add 3 liters of water at a temperature of 27-28°C.
• Add malted milk to the cooled “porridge” while stirring constantly.
• Maintain for 2 hours at a temperature of 58-65°C. You can heat it up, but stir it and do not allow it to rise to 70°C, otherwise the malt enzymes may die and malting will not occur.
• The wort ready for fermentation should be sweet.
• Quickly cool it in a cold water bath (preferably with a chiller) to 27-28°C.
• Add the starter (yeast) and place it in a warm place for fermentation under a water seal (medical glove).

Fermentation, depending on conditions and yeast activity) lasts from 4 to 10 days. When the gurgling stops (the glove falls off), the mash is ripe. The easiest way to determine the distillation is by tasting the mash. The taste of barley wort should be bitter and sour without a sweet aftertaste.

Homemade barley whiskey

To cook real homemade whiskey, you will need:

• 5 kg of malt;
• 15 liters of water + 5 liters for rinsing;
• 25 g dry yeast.

It is necessary to mash the malt with temperature pauses.

1. Grind the malt with a special mill or blender.

Attention. The malt should not be ground too finely, as this will make it difficult to filter.

1. Heat the water to 10 degrees and gradually add malt to avoid lumps.
2. Cover and seal the pan to maintain the temperature at 65°C for 80 to 90 minutes.
3. Test for iodine: mix a drop of iodine and a drop of mash on a white plate. If the color has not changed, everything is fine. Turned blue? You still need to heat the mash to 65°C, insulate it for half an hour, then test again.
4. Heat the saccharified wort to 72°C and let stand for 15 minutes. Fermentation will stop there.
5. Heat again to 78°C, stand for a couple of minutes and filter.

Advice. Make a special bag (for example, from nylon), which is lowered into water and malt is poured into it. After mashing and temperature pauses, remove the bag, and the finished wort will remain.

1. Heat 5 liters of water to 80°C and pour in the remaining spent grain. This process is called sparging and will help extract any remaining sugar from the malt. Stir, filter.
2. Combine the liquids. Cool to 27-28°C, add yeast and ferment under a water seal.

Barley for moonshine with enzymes

You can prepare moonshine from barley grits without malt using the enzymes glucquamorin (G) and amylosubtilin (A):

1. Steam barley grits in boiling water (4 liters per 1 kg) and wrap for 1 hour.
2. Add enzyme A (diluted with warm water at the rate of 2 g per 1 kg of cereal) to the mixture at a temperature of 70°C.
3. After an hour, add enzyme G diluted at the rate of 3 g per 1 kg of cereal.
4. Maintain for an hour at 62°C, stirring every 20 minutes.
5. After cooling to optimal temperature add yeast.

From barley without yeast

You will need:

• 2.5 kg of barley grain with good germination;
• 4 kg sugar;
• 22-23 liters of water.

Sprout the grain as described above, but only until the first shoots appear. Dry in the oven and grind. Pour in hot water, stir until smooth and heat over high heat to 70°C. In this case, the malt should sink to the bottom, and the liquid on top will become transparent.

Cool naturally until warm, dissolve sugar in the wort and ferment under a water seal.

From sprouted barley and sugar

For 25 liters of water, take 5 kg of quality barley and 6.5 kg of sugar. Place a layer of washed barley in a 30-liter fermentation container, add 1.5 kg of sugar and pour in water to cover the grain by 5 cm. Place in cool and dark place for 7 days.

Alcoholic drinks prepared at home are increasingly popular among consumers. They do not pose even the slightest danger to human health, since environmentally friendly raw materials are used to create them.

Traditionally, the recipe for the manufacture of alcohol-containing products contains sugar and yeast. However, the grain drink has a pleasant taste and aroma. The production process involves transforming a natural cereal plant sprout into a microorganism that can convert starch molecules into sugar. Home craftsmen have to work hard to create high-quality products, but the results are worth it. Grain moonshine will become a real decoration festive table. With its taste, it will surprise even the most fastidious guests who are accustomed to drinking branded alcoholic drinks.

Features of the grain processing procedure for making moonshine

Alcohol products of any kind can be obtained only through the process of fermenting sugar with yeast. Therefore, when creating moonshine at home from grain, it is necessary to obtain a sweet mass from the starch it contains. For this, special enzymes are used, which can be purchased in specialized stores, or malt prepared at home. Strong drinks made from various types of cereal plants differ in taste and smell. Wheat produces a soft product with a sweetish taste. Fans of fragrant moonshine with a high number of degrees are recommended to use rye grains. Barley is an excellent raw material for creating a drink.

To obtain malt, the grain product is pre-sprouted. At the same time, it is laid out in convenient trays in a layer of no more than 2-3 centimeters and filled with warm water. In the room where grains are germinated, the temperature should not be lower than 18°C. Home craftsmen need to remember that products with husks are more capable of retaining moisture, so their processing must be carried out very carefully to prevent excess water in the sprouted grains. To get rid of harmful bacteria, it is recommended to pre-soak the working mass in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or sulfuric acid.

The raw materials prepared for germination are mixed several times a day. After the sprouts appear, it is dried and sorted. Malt milk is obtained by crushing grains in special milling equipment and then boiling it, which promotes the process of breaking down starch. The finished product takes on a green color. It can be stored fresh for no more than 3 days. Dried malt can be used after a considerable period of time. However, this procedure must be carried out at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees. Otherwise required for manufacturing alcoholic drink the enzymes will completely die. The activity of dried malt, which acquires white, is no more than 80%. This must be taken into account when adding it to moonshine wort.

The amount of alcohol obtained from fermented grain depends on the choice of recipe for preparing the alcoholic drink, as well as the quality of the raw materials and the method of distillation. The process of creating moonshine at home has several stages. After preparing the malt, wort is produced from starch-containing raw materials, which is saccharified and fermented. The main manipulation in the creation of alcoholic beverages is distillation. Special devices are used for this process. Equipment with varying levels of productivity, quality and comfort can be purchased in the online store. Some home craftsmen prefer to make distillation units themselves, using various available materials.

Preparation of wort for making grain moonshine

Cereals should not be boiled over an open fire. To avoid burning, special steam generators are used to effectively carry out the process of heat treatment of the prepared mass. Hermetic containers are equipped with heating elements and bubblers, which are a tube for the release of hot steam. As a rule, the wort container is made of stainless steel. Such material guarantees the absence of reaction products or catalysts. The tank is filled with crushed grain, which is filled with hot water. The mixture is constantly stirred to prevent the formation of lumps. For every kilogram of raw material, at least 4 liters of liquid are added. At a temperature of 55-60°C, the action of the enzymes contained in the grain is activated.

The boiled raw material is quickly cooled. Prepared malted milk is added to the wort. After this, the mass is thoroughly mixed using a mixer or drill with a special attachment. For 4-5 kg ​​of main raw materials, 1 kilogram of green malt is added. When using a dried product, its weight increases by 20%. The container with the wort is tightly closed and insulated. The saccharification process lasts about two hours. During this period, it is important not to lower the temperature in order to prevent the rate of bacterial development from decreasing. However, in conditions where the heat exceeds 70 degrees, the saccharification process may stop as the enzymes are destroyed. Sweet taste processed wort indicates a successful process.

Grain mash with added yeast

The finished mass must ferment. To do this, it is cooled to 28-30 degrees Celsius. Some recipes for making moonshine involve adding yeast. In dry form, it is recommended to add them in an amount of 1 g per 350 g of main raw material. You will need at least 1 gram of pressed yeast per 60-80 g of working liquid. The product must be applied in the form of an aqueous solution. For this purpose, drinking liquid heated to a temperature of 30 degrees is used. Per kilogram of pressed yeast you will need 10-15 liters of water. The working container is not completely filled with mash to prevent the release of the resulting foam.

The fermentation time of grain sourdough depends on many factors. The intensity of the procedure is affected by the quality of the yeast, the room temperature, and the type of cereal used. The mash ready for distillation is obtained in 4-5 days. An indicator of complete fermentation of the liquid is the cessation of gas emission from the water seal tube, as well as the acquisition of a bitter-sour taste. The amount of alcohol depends on the observance of subtleties technological process and quality of raw materials. As a rule, grain mash has a strength of no more than 12%.

Yeast-free method for producing mash from grain crops

High-quality alcoholic drinks with impeccable aroma and pleasant taste can be obtained without the use of yeast. The recipe for producing such alcohol-containing products involves uncultivated raw materials obtained by natural methods. The mash is prepared only by adding malt. Sourdough can be made directly from sprouted grains. This saves time and money. Place 5 kg of sprouted grain in a wide-necked container and add 6 kg of sugar dissolved in warm water in an amount of 15 liters. The initial fermentation will last about 5 days. After this period, the starter is poured into a bottle with a narrow neck. To control the fermentation process, you can use a rubber medical glove.

The liquid ready for distillation is obtained in about 3 weeks. With this recipe, the grain can be used 3-4 times. To speed up the fermentation process at the initial stage, you can add to the starter small quantity malt milk. The procedure for preparing mash without sugar is complex, but it does not require the addition of additional products. During the fermentation period, the container with the working liquid is closed with a lid with a water seal. With rapid gas separation, the temperature of the wort may increase slightly.

Some home craftsmen prefer to use enzymes of bacterial origin when making grain moonshine. This type of product greatly facilitates the production process and also improves the taste of the alcoholic drink. By using enzymes, you can avoid converting grains into malt. They significantly reduce fermentation time, increase the amount of alcohol and the quality of the finished product. As a rule, amylosubtilin or glucavamorin is used when creating moonshine. When creating a strong drink using enzymes, the crushed raw materials are poured with warm water and heated to 75 degrees Celsius. The active substances dissolve in a homogeneous liquid. If necessary, you can add a small amount of yeast. The container with the mash and the water seal installed on it must be placed in a warm, dark place. Sourdough with enzymes ripens within two weeks.

Features of the distillation process of mash made from grain raw materials

Sourdough from grains prepared by any of the above methods is distilled using steam. For this purpose, special steam generator devices are used. The container, made of stainless steel, is filled with working fluid to approximately 2/3 of the total volume. This will prevent foam from escaping. At the first signs of boiling mash, it is necessary to reduce the intensity of its heating. When creating high-quality moonshine, it is necessary to be very careful in selecting the highest quality fractions. The first liquid with a high alcohol concentration cannot be used as food product. The most acceptable is moonshine, the strength of which is no more than 40%. Tail fractions are distinguished by the presence of a large amount of fusel oils, which have a negative effect on the human body.

If homemade moonshine is planned to be used for technical purposes, then the separation of harmful parts can be neglected. In this case, the entire mass of alcohol-containing liquid is mixed into the finished selection. Most often, wheat is used to produce grain moonshine. It allows you to obtain a soft, sweetish product with a pleasant aroma. Barley grains are added to homemade vodka tastes like beer, and oats have a strong taste. Double or triple distillation of mash will simply outshine the taste of the resulting drink from branded alcoholic products.

Distillation grain mash- this is a process that helps to obtain good quality alcohol from the finished wort. Distillation takes place in several stages; it is important to monitor the temperature and strength of the drink. But we should not forget about the characteristics of the raw materials from which the mash was made.

Distillation of grain mash

Grain differs from sugar and yeast in that it allows the creation of high-quality wort, which can be used to produce high-quality alcohol. Even a handful of grain added to a mash of yeast and sugar changes the taste of the product, making the alcohol more aromatic and palatable.

The distillation process of grain-based mash has its own specifics, do not forget about it. But the raw materials from which the mash is made also have peculiarities.

So, the main advantages of grain-based mash:

1. Helps to obtain high quality alcohol at home.
2. It ferments well and rarely sours.
3. With repeated distillation, it is possible to obtain moonshine with a strength of 60 degrees.

Grain-based moonshine has such significant advantages: it has a wonderful smell and taste. If we talk about wheat, then wheat distillate has very good characteristics; it can be called a classic product that distillers use to create vodka, cognac and whiskey.

Alcohol made from wheat is labeled alpha and is used industrially to create vodka. This vodka costs quite a lot and is distinguished by its high quality and soft, pleasant taste.

To obtain a high-quality product, moonshiners germinate grain and add malt to the mash. All this helps to release sugar and create a drink that will meet the most demanding requirements.

It is worth noting that grain moonshine has an excellent taste and aroma. To maintain these characteristics, those who like to make distillate home production It is rarely distilled twice. They try to preserve the smell of the drink in this way.

Since recycling can affect the taste and smell of the drink, it pays to be careful. This rule also applies to distillates made from fruits and berries.

Distillation of mash from grain

It is advisable to distill grain mash using a steam generator. This device helps to prepare a good drink from raw materials and significantly reduce the foaming process.

But if there is no steam generator, then in this case it is initially worth filtering the product; you can pass it through gauze or thick cloth several times. This will help significantly improve the quality of moonshine and avoid burning.

In principle, the steam generator is designed to prevent the mash from burning, since otherwise the moonshine will have a characteristic, bad smell burning and bitter taste. The burnt mash is poured out; it still won’t make high-quality moonshine.

For this reason, if the mash is not filtered and run in a conventional apparatus without a steam generator and bubbler, then there is a high risk that the wort will burn. To prevent this from happening, it is worth filtering the product in any convenient way.

After filtration, the base is poured into a distillation cube; the container must be perfectly clean, free of foreign odors, etc.

Then they begin processing. It takes place according to the rules; fractional distillation is not used at the initial stage, since there is no need for it. Processing takes place in several stages, this allows you to increase the quality of the product, increase its strength and improve the taste.

Before re-distillation, the base should be cleaned. This can be done in any convenient way.

So, how to improve the quality of moonshine, methods:

• you can use charcoal or activated carbon in tablets;
• pass the moonshine through a carbon filter several times;
• keep moonshine in an oak barrel for several months, if, of course, you have time.

You can use various cleaning methods: pour milk into the moonshine or add bread to it. There is not much difference in this. It’s just not recommended to clean alcohol using potassium permanganate crystals. The fact is that potassium permanganate can affect the taste and aroma of the drink. For this reason, potassium permanganate is used extremely rarely; berry and grain distillates are not cleaned with it, only mash, which was made from sugar and yeast.

Cleaning will take some time, it will last several days. However, the time will not be wasted; cleaning will help to significantly improve the quality of the alcohol that can be obtained after reprocessing.

After the drink gets rid of various impurities and fusel, you can begin distillation. We simply pour the base into a distillation cube and distill it, dividing it into fractions.

Fractional distillation: pros and cons

Fractional distillation is based on dividing moonshine into fractions. The distillate is simply stripped of the heads and tails, leaving only the body.

The body is the basis for drinking, moonshine, which can be consumed without much fear. Because such a product will be different good quality and pleasant taste. The smell will be virtually unaffected during this processing. Processing will help preserve the pleasant, grainy aroma that gives the drink its unique charm.

So, the basics of fractional distillation:

1. The first thing to start with is to separate the heads; they are cut off for the reason that this moonshine contains a high content of fusel oils and harmful impurities. Despite the fact that the strength of the heads is very high, they can only be used for technical needs. Heads make up about 10% of the total volume of mash.
2. Then we start selecting the body. There is nothing complicated about this; this faction has good characteristics. Some moonshiners select the body until the ABV is around 45%.
3. When the fortress falls, the tails immediately begin to be taken away. It is important not to confuse the factions and not to “get caught”. They can be used to create a strong mash. But they don’t recommend drinking tails; they contain harmful impurities just like heads. The tailings are selected until the strength in the stream drops to 15–20 degrees.

Fractional distillation requires control and participation, it takes some time, but do not underestimate this method, since it has many advantages:

• helps improve the quality of moonshine, rid it of residual harmful impurities;
• has a certain effect on the taste of the drink, making it softer and more pleasant;
• increases the strength of the distillate several times (repeated distillation helps to reach 60–70 degrees).

Provided that the moonshine was made according to all the rules, there will be no doubt about its quality.

The downside of fractional distillation is the reduction in the amount of moonshine. On average, about 30% of the total volume of distillate is lost. But a significant part of it is tails; they can be put to use and used to make a stronger and more stable mash.

The disadvantages of fractional distillation can be considered minor. Provided that division into fractions is considered one of the most effective ways to improve the quality of moonshine.

Any business has its own tricks and nuances that come with experience. In practice, such advice helps improve the quality of alcohol and significantly influence its organoleptic characteristics (taste, color and aroma).

So, a few tips:

• If you plan to further transform grain-based moonshine into noble drink, whiskey or cognac, then you should pour the distillate into an oak barrel and let it sit for several months. During this time, the alcohol will absorb tannins and get rid of impurities. Its taste and aroma will improve several times.
• It is advisable to distill grain moonshine in a copper still. Copper differs from other metals in that it has a special effect on alcohol. Makes it less harsh and avoids any aftertaste or bitter aftertaste.
• If you plan to regularly distill mash from grain to obtain a high-quality base, then it is better to get a steam generator. It will be much more convenient to work with it. And if the steam generator is supplemented with a bubbler (harmful impurities and fusel accumulate in this device), then the quality of the drink will only improve.
• To speed up the fermentation process of grain mash, sugar is often added to it. But the latter to a certain extent changes the aroma of the drink and its taste. For this reason, it is worth finding the ideal proportions that will help preserve the taste characteristics of the alcohol and its pleasant aroma.
• You can add malt or sourdough to the mash. You can use wild yeast, but keep in mind that the wort will ferment for a long time if it does not contain malt or sourdough. Braga made with wild yeast will be ready in about 45 days.
• As a rule, body selection is stopped when the strength in the stream drops to 45 degrees. But if there is a desire to produce a high-quality drink or use moonshine as a base for the production of elite alcohol, then it is worth finishing the selection of the body when the strength in the stream drops to 50 degrees.
• If this is the first time the performer has encountered the scheme for preparing grain moonshine, then it is better to test his strength on corn. This raw material is not capricious.

Bread wine (that’s what grain moonshine was called in ancient times) has a pleasant taste and aroma. After diluting with water, the drink is allowed to stand for a while (2-3 days), and then used for its intended purpose.