Recipes for fruit mash from fresh raw materials and dried fruits. Recipe for making berry mash at home Berry moonshine at home

Many people prefer this drink among other alcoholic products; it is quite easy to prepare from various available products, in other words, you can easily choose a drink “to suit your taste.”

Consider a recipe for fruit moonshine

Making this type of moonshine is highly dependent on the sugar content of the fruit you want to use. If you choose the ingredients in advance, you can use the table of the percentage of sugar and water in fruits and berries. So, for example, apricots can contain the most sugar, and sea buckthorn can contain a small amount of it.

A recipe for fruit moonshine at home implies that the amount of sugar in it will be 25%. Therefore, it is very important to know the percentage of its content in the raw materials used, after which you can calculate how much sugar you need to add to the berry you have chosen.

1. So, the fruits or berries you have chosen are crushed. Before this, you need to remove the seeds to avoid a bitter aftertaste in the finished moonshine.
2. There is no point in washing berries and fruits, because water washes away the wild yeast that any fruit has. They will be useful during fermentation.
3. The mashed fruits should be left for a couple of days, giving them the opportunity to ferment on their own. During this time, you can choose the ones that are most suitable for you.
4. Then the required amount of missing sugar and water is added. The table mentioned above, which can be found in the recipe collection for making various preparations, will help you find them out.
5. If you take a berry with a low juice content, grinding it will result in a thick puree. Then some water is added to the wort. After which it is filled with sugar, as in.
6. After the fermentation process is over (it can last about a week), you need to filter the mash. You can do this using gauze, through which the mash is poured into a container for distillation.
7. In order not to spoil the product, you need to make sure that there are no parts of berries and fruits left in the mash. And of course, it is necessary (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column of the brand). You can choose the device that is right for you using.
8. After the first distillation, you need to determine the percentage of alcohol in the moonshine. If it is less than forty degrees, a second distillation is carried out. After this, moonshine according to the fruit recipe becomes stronger.

You can find various fruits on our portal.

Moonshine is strong alcoholic drink, obtained by distilling alcohol-containing raw materials (mash).
Sugar can be used as a raw material for making mash (the easiest way is at home), or berries and fruits containing sugar (fructose) in pure form, or starch-containing raw materials (rye, wheat, barley, corn, etc.) which are processed into sugar using malt or malt enzymes.

Let's take a closer look at the preparation of moonshine from the main types of raw materials:

Moonshine from sugar

This method is the simplest on preparation. To prepare it you only need sugar, yeast and water.
The ratio of components is approximately the following: for 1 kilogram of sugar - 5 liters of water and 100 g of pressed yeast, or 18 grams of dry yeast such as Saf-Moment or Saf-Levure.
Sugar is dissolved in warm water, then yeast is added, pressed yeast must first be diluted in part of the sugar solution and wait until it is activated (3-5 minutes), dry yeast can simply be scattered over the surface of the sugar solution.
The container is closed with a water seal.
The mash ferments for about 7 days, after which it is drained from the yeast sediment and distilled in a moonshine still.

To refine such moonshine you can add it to the mash various fruits and berries such as grapes, plums, blackthorn, etc., they transfer their taste and aroma to the finished drink, and also help the fermentation process due to the wild yeast contained on their surface.

Moonshine from grain

Grain moonshine is considered one of the most noble, thanks to its original taste and aroma. It is much more difficult to prepare than sugar, but the result is worth it, try it yourself! Grain, flour or cereals are suitable as raw materials.

First, a little theory.

Grains contain a lot of starch, which contains sugar molecules. Starch can be broken down into simpler molecules, including sugar, which is precisely what is needed for alcoholic fermentation. To convert starch into sugar, enzymes are needed, which are contained in sprouted grains - malt.
Enzymes work catalytically. Therefore, you can sprouted 1 kg of grain, grind it and, with the help of its enzymes, turn starch from 5-6 kg of unsprouted grain (crushed), or cereal, or flour into sugar. The starch in unsprouted crushed grains, cereals, and flour is closed inside the cells. To make it available to enzymes, unsprouted grain (crushed, or cereal or flour) must be boiled - the cell membranes burst and the starch goes into solution, this solution is called wort.

It is not necessary to use malt to obtain sugar from starch; there are ready-made enzymes for this: amylosubtilin, which helps liquefy the wort and glucavamorin, which promotes saccharification.

The saccharification process itself requires great care and strict adherence to temperature conditions, for example, enzymes will not withstand overheating above 75 degrees, and if underheated, fermentation will not be complete. Also, at the end of the fermentation process, it is important to sharply cool the wort until room temperature, this is necessary so that various microorganisms do not have time to multiply in the resulting nutrient medium during gradual cooling, otherwise the yeast may die.

After saccharification- obtaining sugar from starch, the wort is fermented with conventional yeast, for example Saf-Moment or Saf-Levure.

Another complication making moonshine from starch The problem is that the fermented wort is very thick, so it cannot be distilled in a classic moonshine still, because it will simply burn to the walls of the still and the drink will be completely spoiled. Distillation of grain wort is carried out either by steam or in a water bath or some other bath, such as a glycerin bath.

Moonshine from berries and fruits

Fruit moonshine has the taste and aroma of the fruits or berries from which it was prepared.
It is no more difficult to prepare than sugar, but it has its own characteristics.
If you have already decided on the raw materials, you need to find out what sugar content it contains.
Next, the raw materials are crushed.
BUT under no circumstances don't wash it, the surface contains wild yeast, we will still need it to ferment sugar and fructose!
The crushed or mashed raw material is placed in a fermentation container, it should ferment on its own (1-2 days).
After which sugar and water are added, if necessary.
The sugar content should be about 25% so to calculate how much to add, refer to the table above.
For example, if you are making plum brandy (the sugar content in plums is approximately 10%), then for 10 liters of crushed berries you will need 1.5 kg of sugar.
If you dilute it with water, then sugar is added to it like in a regular sugar mash.
If distillation involves using heating elements or a stove for heating, then make sure that the raw materials are completely fermented, otherwise residues or fruit peels may burn, which will lead to spoilage of the entire product and rapid wear of the heating elements.
To distill fruit mashes, especially thick ones, it is recommended to use a steam generator or a water bath to prevent the possibility of burning.

Be sure to check out the Forum section, where you will find a great variety of recipes from our participants!

The berry mash gives the moonshine a pleasant aroma, and the taste will also acquire pleasant shades. Even at the stage of preparing the mash, you need to decide what taste the moonshine should have. You can use honey, cereals, vegetables, fruits, but most often berry drinks are prepared.

Rules for making berry mash

Mash is a composition that is prepared using yeast. During the life of these microorganisms, carbon dioxide is produced. But the most important thing for distillers is the formation of alcohol. That is why at home it is necessary to create the right environment for the reproduction and activity of these crops.

Here you need to pay attention to the amount of sugar, temperature level, stirring, and pressure changes.

But it is necessary to take into account that the alcohol concentration should be no more than 15%, and if the indicator is higher than the norm, then the microorganisms simply die.

You need to prepare mash following the following rules:

1. Before preparing a product, it is necessary to study the entire process and all its nuances in advance. In addition, you need to pay attention to temperature changes. If the indicator is above 45 °C, the yeast will die and the alcohol production process will stop.
2. If the temperature drops to 18 °C, the fungi simply go into hibernation.
3. Yeast produces not only alcohol, but also carbon dioxide. Too much of this product worsens the taste and aroma, thereby complicating the process of preparing moonshine with berries or other products. To reduce the concentration of this gaseous substance, a degassing process is carried out. To allow the gas to escape, special equipment is used. This is a water seal. At home, use a regular rubber medical glove, which is put on the bottle. You first need to make a puncture in it.
4. If the mash is too sweet, this does not mean that there will be too much yeast, and the alcohol concentration will be higher. This can cause the appearance of excess hydrogen sulfide and a specific aroma.
5. If the mash for moonshine is not distilled, then the highest strength indicator of the final product will be no more than 15°. For example, the famous mead, which is considered very healthy, is prepared using just this method. It is not distilled at all, and is already ready for drinking.

Making a quality drink is quite simple. The main thing is that you need to follow all the rules and choose what the drink will be prepared from. For more information about preparing fruit and berry moonshine, watch this video:

As a rule, only one raw material is used to prepare mash, but different products can be mixed. For example, mixtures of berries, old jam, pears, apples, etc. are perfect. Quince and rowan together give the final drink a refined taste and aroma.

Stages of making berry mash

Before you put on the mash, you need to decide on the recipe and buy all the necessary raw materials.

If you choose classic version, then you will need 20 liters of clean water, 0.5 kg of yeast and 8 kg of sugar.

The result will be 30 liters of mash. This option is considered the simplest and most economical. But you can use more complex and interesting recipes. Berry moonshine is often prepared for drinking, and the mash is also prepared on the basis of certain berries.

To make sugar mash, be sure to use sugar.

All components are subject to certain conditions, as they will affect the final product. The water must be clean. Boiled or spring water is best. There should be no impurities or foreign odors in it. As for yeast, there are practically no restrictions.

The baking composition is also excellent, as well as dry, pressed, and raw.

The main thing is to comply with everything the necessary conditions for their activity and reproduction.

The main stages of preparing mash:

When the mash is completely ready, you can begin the distillation process to obtain moonshine. Product yield will vary depending on many factors, including the strength of the primary product used.

Berry mash recipes

Making berry mash at home is not difficult. There are practically no restrictions on the choice of berries.

Strawberry mash gives the finished drink a characteristic aroma and a pleasant softness of taste

The most popular recipes are the following:

1. Strawberries or wild strawberries. Strawberry mash gives the finished drink a characteristic aroma and a pleasant softness of taste. To prepare, you will need 5 kg of strawberries per 3 liters of clean water. Additionally, for every 1 kg of sugar, another 4 liters of water are required. You will need from 1 to 3 kg of sugar itself. Yeast is required dry (15 g) or compressed (70 g). This component is not always used. Strawberries or wild strawberries need to be crushed and mixed to form a homogeneous mass. Then send the slurry into a fermentation container. Pour sugar and yeast into it, pour in water. Mix everything thoroughly and install a water seal on the container (store-bought or homemade). You need to leave 20% of the volume in the container for foam. Place the container in a warm and dark room (temperature from 19 to 27 °C). In the first three days, it is necessary to remove the shutter and stir the mass. Depending on the activity of the yeast, wait from 5 to 40 days.
2. Plum. Excellent berry mash comes from plums. This recipe is considered one of the simplest. You will need about 2 buckets of drains. They need to be crushed first. If the berries are not very sweet, then the fermentation process can be stimulated with yeast and sugar.
3. Cherry. Cherry mash will take a lot of time, since you first need to remove all the seeds. You need to take 10 kg of berries. They need to be peeled, pitted, mashed, added 1 kg of sugar, 1 liter of water and 100 g of yeast. You can also use cherry juice. Take 20 kg of berries, remove the seeds and mash the pulp. Then process in a blender or juicer. The prepared cake and juice should be poured into a glass container, pour in 2 kg of sugar. Dissolve 200 g yeast in small quantity water and mix everything else. In the first 2 days, the mass needs to be stirred. The product is infused for 5 days.

You can also prepare a product based on fermented cherry jam (other things will do). For 6 liters of jam you will need approximately 200 g of yeast and 3 kg of sugar.

Drinking water needs 30 liters.

Infuse the mixture in a dark place for about 5 days. The same principle is used to prepare a product based on any fermented jam. You can also use compote, which begins to sour.

Popular recipes

1. Rowan. The rowan mash recipe suggests that it is best to take not the berries themselves, but their juice. You will need about 4 liters of this liquid for about 100 g of yeast.
2. Grape. Most often, mash can be made from grape juice, but the juice is simply drunk or used to make wine. For 5 kg of raw materials you will need 15 liters of clean water, 2 kg of sugar (a little more is possible) and 250 g of yeast.
3. Apricots. At home, you can make mash based on apricots. To do this you will need 10 kg of berries, 3 liters of clean water, 10 kg of sugar and 100 g of yeast. Before using, apricots should be thoroughly washed and pitted. Then the fruits are ground in a meat grinder or blender. You can also use a regular masher. Dissolve sugar in water and cool to room temperature. Then mix with the resulting puree and add yeast. Do all this in a glass container. In a week the product will be ready.
4. Watermelon. You can make watermelon mash at home. To do this, you will need for 1 medium watermelon weighing about 6 kg (choose the ripest one), 0.5 sugar, 100 g of yeast and only 20 ml of water. First, you need to wash the watermelon and cut it into slices, removing the skin. All bones from the pulp must be removed. Place all the pieces in a container. Dissolve sugar in warm water. You will need approximately 200 ml. Then pour the syrup into a jar with watermelon. Finally, add yeast diluted in a small amount of water. The container must be placed in a warm place for 6 days.

There are recipes when the mash is prepared directly in the watermelon peel. For more information about preparing a watermelon drink, watch this video:

To do this, cut off the top, and then add yeast and sugar there. But this method is quite dangerous, since the watermelon can simply crack or explode because the yeast is poured into the watermelon pulp.

Conclusion

For many people, the important question is how to make berry mash for moonshine. The preparation of this drink base is very important, since it affects the taste, strength and aroma of the drink in the future.

Any berries and fruits are suitable for preparing the product. The main rule is compliance with all proportions.

For example, cranberries require much more sugar than raspberries or strawberries. Dried fruits are actively used. You can also come up with drinks based on wild berries.

• puree + syrup
• juice + syrup
• compote + syrup
• juice + compote + syrup, etc.

It is important that the wort is sufficiently sugary (at least 20 g/dm3) and aromatic initially. I often prefer to use compote (a highly concentrated decoction) of fruits and berries with low humidity (dense apples, rose hips, sloe, quince, rowan, honeysuckle, some types of pears, etc.), in combination with other fractions to make work easier with mash during its preparation for distillation. Of course, there will be losses in aroma, but in any case it is advisable to make up for them aromatization. To do this, it is advisable to immediately set aside some of the raw materials for secondary flavoring of moonshine (possibly freeze). Making compote is very simple. Place portions of fruit into boiling water for 10-15 minutes, then discard them in a colander (drain the drained liquid back into the concentrate). With this method, almost all the sugar (glucose and fructose) will end up in the compote, and therefore in the wort.

So, in accordance with our ideas and wishes, we composed a wort, which consists of a fruit component and invert sugar syrup. Be sure to measure its sugar content and acidity, and again think carefully about it. We decide to bring our complex solution to the correct levels: sugar - 18-24 g/dm3, acidity 4-5 units. RN. Prepare invert sugar syrup in the required volume. But its concentration can be different, depending on the sugar content of the wort itself. If the sugars in the wort are 6-12 g/dm3, prepare a solution at the rate of 1/3; 12-15 g/dm3 - 1/4; 15-23 g/dm3 - 1/5. Finally, we mixed the wort and we are satisfied with its sugar content (16-24 g/dm3). HOORAY!!!

Let's start alkalizing again. Let's bring the pH of the solution to 4-4.5 units. using the above method. The wort is waiting to be added. Let's not test its strength, let's introduce wine yeast in full accordance with the instructions for them and we will make the mash container with our single-celled mushrooms work.

The question arises: is there a need to feed the yeast? Our experience tells us that it is not worth it. Proper modern alcoholic yeast contains a full range of vitamins and microelements for the normal functioning of yeast. In addition, excessive protein feeding can release ammonia compounds into the mash, formed as a result of putrefactive fermentation of amino acids. This problem can be solved by removing (draining) the layer of dead fungi, for which correct fermentation tanks There are bottom taps for draining sediment at the final stages of fermentation.

So, sooner or later, the mash is ripe for distillation. If everything was done correctly, it should taste like dry fruit wine. The tastier the mash, the correspondingly tastier the moonshine will be. We prepare the mash for the chase. We collect the remaining fruit floating on the surface and carefully decant the remaining liquid. READY!!!

Cooking alcohol mashine to work. In this situation, we must use a 3-fold distillation.

Assembling the configuration "straight-runner" and simply distill all the alcohol into the primary distillate without fractional selection to 15-20% alcohol content in the stream. Let's try the distillate. We draw conclusions and again think for a long time about what to do next.

In our noble cause, nothing is ever unambiguous, as in any other matter using the human mind and hands. Again we bow our heads, only this time over the receiving container, sniff for a long time, lick the drops and think. Sometimes you have to pour everything into a canal, for example melon distillate. And sometimes you get some kind of masterpiece during the first run (usually with wild yeast, with long fermentation (up to 4 weeks) of the wort). In any case, with the use of the Favorit-Exclusive distiller, there is no need to use charcoalization, purification with milk, or potassium permanganate. Although I would like to talk about potassium permanganate separately.

In a very weak dilution (8-10 crystals per 1 liter of water), a solution of potassium permanganate, when added to the distillate from above, can solve the problem of foreign odors. In this case, the released atomic oxygen neutralizes (oxidizes) esters of foreign compounds and tail alcohols. At the same time, we must not forget that potassium permanganate reacts with ethyl alcohol, forming a compound that falls to the bottom in the form of white flakes. Having filtered this precipitate, you can add potassium permanganate again and get this precipitate again. The process can be repeated until all the alcohol has settled in the form of flakes, and a weak acetone solution remains in the container.

More often, and most likely, we will have to distill the resulting fruit distillate again, but this time dividing it into fractions. In this situation we cannot do without magic . We assemble it in the configuration “complete without MFP” in the version with a drawer of 50 cm, or with a drawer of 30 cm. We fill the drawers with nozzles. The options are as follows: the lower nozzle is always .

From above, at your discretion, any combination of copper on-load tap-changers, steel and copper SPN Selivanenko(3-3.5mm). Copper nozzles should be used in case of a questionable odor of the distillate, or one layer as a preventive measure.

Dilute the distillate with prepared water to a strength of 30%.

We warm up the cube, wait for the first drops, immediately after they appear, we significantly reduce the heating of the system and increase the water pressure. Let the system think for 15 minutes about how to behave next (just kidding). Everything is ready for selection "head faction".

We increase the heating along with increasing the cooling of both refrigerators. We begin to select very slowly . It is not difficult to achieve this selection rate (1-1.5 drops per second), just adjust the heating by reducing it; and cooling the reflux condenser by slightly opening the cold water supply tap.

We will select heads in a volume that will be 6-10% of the volume .

For example: a cube contains 20 liters of distillate with a strength of 40%. This means there are 8 liters of pure (absolute) alcohol in the distillate. We will select 480-800 ml of heads. at the same time, sniff the drops from time to time, rubbing them in dry and clean palms. As soon as the smell of acetone in the drops disappears, you need to change the receiving container and start collecting the “body”. Let's increase the heat and adjust the water supply. The alcohol will flow in a thin stream. We select it until its strength in the stream drops to 60%. Again we change the container and select the so-called “pre-tails” to a strength in the stream of 40%. You can stop the chase at this point, or you can change the container again and select all the remaining alcohols for unknown purposes. In this case, selection is carried out until the temperature in the cube reaches 99 degrees. We disassemble and wash the device.

So we got 4 containers. The first fraction goes into the toilet, or left for lighting fires. The second faction is the most valuable. It needs to be assessed for strength, taste and smell. If everything was done correctly, you will get delicious moonshine of 65-85%. It can be consumed, although the smell of the original raw material may be partially or completely absent. Take the third jar. We try and smell again. The usual strength of this fraction is 45-50%. It may turn out tastier and more aromatic than the second one, or it may not work out. In general, think again and make a decision. If the aroma has disappeared altogether, mix the 2nd and 3rd fractions, dilute with water and distill using a gin basket. We will put the necessary fruits in it for flavoring. We distill without connecting a reflux condenser and without nozzles, to a temperature in the cube of 98 degrees. All is ready.

In any case, no additional cleaning (coal, oil, milk, potassium permanganate) is required.

Fruits and berries are a traditional component of mash. By using such raw materials it is possible to create fruit moonshine By own recipes. A properly prepared alcoholic drink will have a pronounced fruity aroma. The process of making fruit mash is not easy, but it is worth your efforts - in the end you will get a soft, fruity distillate!

Fruit mash has its own characteristics. Having chosen the raw materials, find out how much sugar is contained in the fruits, use a special table for this. The sweeter the fruit, the tastier the brew and the yield of the finished product will be.

Ingredients and tools for mash:

• fruits or berries;
• sugar as desired;
• meat grinder, press, juicer or a blender for chopping or squeezing juice;
• big spoon for stirring the wort;
• fermentation tank suitable size.

Algorithm for preparing fruit mash:

1) Wash the fruits under running water.

2) From fruits in which big bones, delete them.

3) Grind the fruit with a meat grinder, blender or any other in an accessible way so that it resembles puree. Or you can squeeze out pure juice using a juicer or press.

The red fermentation scheme is when the mash is placed together with fruit cake. The white fermentation scheme is when only pure juice without cake is fermented.

4) Place the mass in a fermentation container; if the wort is too thick, add a little water, but the total volume should not fill 3/4 of the container.

To increase yield or if the fruit is low in sugar, say less than 7%, sugar may be added. But keep in mind that the more sugar you add, the less flavor and aromatic qualities will remain from the initial raw materials in the final product.

5) Calculate the amount of yeast required for the resulting wort.

6) Dissolve the yeast in a small amount of warm water, add to the wort and mix thoroughly. Yeast for fruit mash should be wine or specialized fruit yeast to ensure maximum fermentation and prevent foreign odors.

7) To prevent air from entering the fermentation container, tightly seal and install a water seal. When exposed to air, oxidation occurs, which will ultimately affect the quality of the product.

8) Place in a dark room with a temperature of 18-25 degrees.

9) If you ferment according to the red scheme (with cake), stir the mash for the first 3-4 days, because a cap will rise, which must be settled and prevented from souring.

10) If everything is done correctly, then after 7-14 days of fermentation the mash will be ready for distillation. Fermentation time will depend on many factors: the amount of sugar, the yeast chosen and the ambient temperature.

11) Before distillation, the mash must be filtered through several layers of gauze (if fermented with cake) to get rid of impurities that can burn during distillation and give off bitterness. If used white diagram, you just need to remove it from the sediment and that will be enough.

• Removing the seeds takes a lot of time, but in the end the fruit drink will not be bitter.
• Use a press or juicer and ferment pure juice, because... according to the white scheme, without cake, the highest quality product is obtained.
• If you still decide to use sugar, it is better to replace it with glucose, fructose or dextrose.

Fruit moonshine has the taste and aroma of fruits or berries from which the mash was made: tart and aromatic moonshine is obtained from cherries. The alcoholic drink made from plums is not too sweet and has a pleasant plum smell. Pear moonshine is very aromatic and tasty. Fruit distillates from raisins, dates, and dried apricots have an unusual taste.