Types of yeast for moonshine. Wine yeast: very expensive and high quality

Yeast are the main component. A novice winemaker may be confused by the variety of types of yeast: baking, beer, spirit and wine. Some of them are better for making alcohol, others are worse. We will tell you further about which yeast is best for moonshine and how to use it correctly.

In general, yeast is a fungus that triggers fermentation. How does this happen? In addition to the yeast base, it includes granulated sugar. Yeast, when it gets into the sugar, begins to multiply and release carbon dioxide and ethanol. They participate in activating the fermentation process. But, fermentation occurs only in a certain environment and at a certain temperature.

How to start the process of yeast reproduction and fermentation of the drink? We do this:

• set the temperature from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius;
• We use only clean spring or bottled water;
• mix water, granulated sugar, yeast in it, close the lid and pull on a punctured rubber glove;
• put the jar in a warm place;
• The liquid will be light.
• an open jar will smell of alcohol - this indicates the beginning of fermentation.

Variety of varieties

Yeast can be pressed, as well as;

• dry bakery products;
• turbo yeast;

What yeast is best to use for? Each type has its own characteristics, so it’s impossible to say exactly which of them are best to add to. You can buy yeast in a regular supermarket or a store that specializes in making alcoholic drinks. The choice of yeast should be approached with special attention.

Bakery strains

This is the most popular yeast for. They are mainly used during baking or in the production of alcoholic beverages. But they cannot be called the best: moonshine also needs to be infused for a long time: from 2 or more weeks. The result is alcohol with a high content fusel oils and a strength of less than 10 degrees. At the same time, the drink has a sharp, bad smell and very low quality. Therefore, winemakers recommend distilling it several times.

What are the advantages of baker's yeast?

• can be purchased at any store;
• have optimal cost;
• can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time;
• easy to use;
• getting into dry wort, they quickly activate the fermentation process.

Baker's yeast is sold dry and pressed. When using a compressed product, the packaging after opening is stored in freezer, otherwise it will spoil. How much yeast is required for moonshine? You need very little of them: only 100 grams per 1 kg of granulated sugar.

What are the disadvantages of baker's yeast?

• the finished drink has a strength of 9 to 11 degrees;
• alcohol comes out with a pungent odor that not every person will like;
• if stored incorrectly, they quickly deteriorate;
• when using yeast, feeding is required;
• Their use provokes a lot of foam, so it is necessary to use a defoamer;
• they emit a lot of carbon dioxide.

What brands of yeast for moonshine are there? Dry baker's yeast is used to make alcohol. The most popular brands are: “Saf Moment”, “Saf Levure”, “Pakmaya”.

Why are they in demand among consumers?

• cheap and easy to use;
• are available for sale in any store and are stored for a long time.

They are added like this: take 1 kg of sugar and 16-20 grams of purchased yeast. They are diluted with water before adding. During infusion, the smell of yeast can be felt throughout the whole house and the finished alcohol has a rich yeasty taste, but the strength is only 9-14 degrees. Consumers often compare such drinks with regular light beer.

Wine yeast

Some winemakers use wine yeast. But the technology here differs from the classic recipe.

In nature, wine yeast is found on grape berries. In Italy and the Caucasus, grappa and chacha are made from them. This yeast is good for fermenting grape marc obtained after making wine. Now you can buy dry wine yeast in the store. Their drinks are light, pleasant, and have a pronounced grape taste and smell. This alcohol is in particular demand among women. Rarely do winemakers use wine yeast for moonshine.

What are the benefits of dry wine yeast?

• the finished alcohol has a strength of more than 17 degrees;
• the mash loses its sharp and unpleasant smell and taste;
• they are easy to store;
• it is a dry, clean product that does not contain harmful impurities;
• The drink infused with wine raw materials and wine yeast is very pleasant.

Of course, home-made wine yeast has a very good quality, but dry wine yeast is also very good. Which ones should you choose? Only the winemaker can decide.

Brewer's yeast

Brewer's yeast is not used for moonshine or home brew. They are used to make beer. It's also biological active additive which helps get rid of many diseases. Yeast first appeared in the 19th century in Germany.

Which brewer's yeast should I use? Unfortunately, none. Why?

• they give a lot of foam;
• the infused drink contains a lot ethyl alcohol and fusel oils.

But there are also winemakers who use beer and wine yeast to prepare mash and moonshine. Moreover, they prepare such yeast at home themselves. How can you make them yourself? Easy: take it enamel pan, add 1 cup of boiled water and 1 cup of flour to it. The water should not be very hot or very cold, otherwise the yeast will not dissolve. Stir the mixture. Cover the saucepan with a lid and place in a warm place. We insist the composition for 5-6 hours. After 6 hours, put 1 spoon of sugar in a saucepan and pour in 1 glass of beer, mix and put in heat again. Pour the yeast into a bowl. They are stored in the freezer.

Turbo yeast

They occupy a separate category among baker's and alcohol yeasts. But winemakers treat them differently. Some people love and praise them, while others hate and criticize them. When used in winemaking, they ferment for 2 days, the strength of the alcohol infused with them is 20 degrees. Of course, this is very good for making alcohol at home.

What other advantages do they have?

• do not form foam;
• no feeding is required, since the fertilizer is already included in their composition;
• practically do not emit harmful substances;
• easy to apply.

What disadvantages do they have?

• are produced chemically;
• used in the production of strong alcoholic drinks with a specific taste;
• have a high price. An ordinary pack of Turbo-24 yeast yields 40 liters of moonshine, but often one pack is not enough;
• You can buy turbo yeast in a special store or online.

Having studied the pros and cons of “Turbo yeast”, you can understand why winemakers rarely use it to make homemade alcohol and prefer natural ingredients.

Alcohol strains

Alcoholic yeast is most suitable for making alcohol. Using them, winemakers prepare or. Even manufacturers recommend using them for preparing alcoholic drinks. Especially if the drink includes grains.

Which yeast is best for moonshine and why exactly? alcohol yeast are in particular demand among many professionals?

• Fermentation time is only 4 days, so alcohol yeast is the choice of many professionals;
• yeast fungi die when the strength of ethyl alcohol exceeds 18 degrees. Therefore, the finished mash also has a strength of 18 degrees;
• the finished alcohol does not have an unpleasant odor, has a good taste and excellent quality;
• when added to mash, alcoholic yeast does not emit foam, so the barrel is filled entirely with liquid and defoamers are not used;
• They are easy to store, easy to use, and do not contain harmful impurities.

Dry alcoholic yeast is often sold in stores. Alcohol yeast for moonshine is sold in a special store or ordered online.

How many do you need to take? The number of packs depends on the amount of alcohol you want to get. For example: 2.5 grams of dry yeast produces 10 liters of mash.

Terms of use

We bought yeast for sugar mash and you think it will turn out delicious? It's not quite like that.

A few tips on how to properly infuse mash at home:

1. Do not use plastic or aluminum containers for infusion. It is better to ferment the drink in a glass container.
2. For better infusion Close the container with a water seal or rubber glove.
3. Shake the liquid every day.
4. The drink ferments better in warm conditions. For better heating, install a heater.
5. Add yeast strictly according to the instructions indicated on its packaging.
6. Dilute the yeast with water before adding to the jar.
7. Is there a lot of foam? Sprinkle 2-3 chopped livers on top of the drink.
8. Are you using Saf Velor yeast and it produces a lot of foam? Sprinkle Saf Moment yeast on top of the drink.

What is the best yeast for? There is no clear answer to this question. Only the winemaker himself can make the right choice. The most experienced of them use different varieties of yeast for their mash and only through trial and error find the best ones for themselves. If you are a beginner, then give preference to alcohol yeast. This way you will get really high-quality and tasty alcohol with which you can surprise yourself and your loved ones. It can also be a wonderful gift for a colleague or boss at work. Believe me, no one will remain indifferent.

Let's figure out how to put the mash using different types yeast.

In principle, any of the listed types are used in brews, although it is better to give preference to alcoholic ones. Regardless of the type, it is important to use them fresh, in the right proportion. The main thing in this matter is to maintain the exact ratio of ingredients. So, for the required quantity you need to be able to calculate it yourself.

So, how much yeast is used for 1 kg of sugar:

• Raw (meaning alcohol or baking) will require 100 g.
• The least amount of wine yeast is required - only 2 - 4 grams.
• You need to use alcoholic yeast based on the type. For example, dry ones will need 15 -20 g.

This difference is explained by the composition of pressed (raw) yeast: it consists of 75% water and 25% yeast itself (approximately).

It should also be noted that for every kilogram of sugar, 4 liters of water are required. If you ignore this proportion and do everything by eye, you won’t get a quality product.

Rules for preparing mash

First, let's note the general rules for preparing mash. You will need:

• the required volume with a lid, so that it is filled to two-thirds of the volume, since the mash will certainly foam and rise during the fermentation process, so it needs a reserve;

Plastic containers for food purposes are considered the best, which are gradually replacing even those that were popular in the recent past.

Under no circumstances use galvanized containers, which will fill the moonshine with compounds that are more hazardous to health!

• To prepare mash from sugar, it is better to take a small-packaged product in cellophane packaging of 1, 3 or 5 kg. Here the weight is accurate (unlike large bags, from which craftsmen “grind off” kilograms of sugar), and it’s convenient - the right amount is poured right away;
• take clean and warm water, 28 - 30 degrees, no more is needed;
• is mandatory yeast fermentation. This procedure simultaneously performs two functions: firstly, in this way you make sure that the product works, and secondly, further fermentation will go faster.

All types must be diluted with warm water, wait until they come up and only then add to the mash.

Some species, even properly bred, begin to ferment poorly and require additional activation. What to do in this case?

Suitable for activation supplements, both store-bought and those that are at hand at home - candied or unsuccessful jam, boiled peas, bread, old cookies. All this is processed by yeast and ripening takes place more intensively.

Calculation of how much sugar and yeast is needed is made according to the above proportions.

On wine

Many distillers liked wine yeast because it produces a product that is least filled with harmful impurities: the moonshine turns out clean even from one distillation, does not stink or taste, which is especially noticeable when using baking ones.

Using wine make mash with invert sugar. You also need " lure" For example, a little candied jam (tested option), or even a piece of bread, crumbled cookies, dried fruit or raisins, steamed and twisted into a meat grinder.

The cheapest option is Zimasil Swedish or Italian production. 10 grams, according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, is enough for 45-50 liters of mash. But, if you believe the practices of moonshine brewing, then the amount of yeast for mash per 50 liters should be twice as much, that is, 20 g.

Small quantities are also a huge advantage. When using wine yeast, it is enough to select 5% of the heads, and that’s with a margin. Body yield will also be greater before tails are cut off than with other species.

On dry

Turbo or active (we are talking specifically about alcoholic ones, such as Pakmaya yeast) provide good organoleptic properties. The resulting moonshine can in no way be called smelly (as often happens if raw ones are used). But they don’t even reach the quality of wine. This is a kind of “golden mean”.

Regarding mash made from Belarusian alcoholic yeast (dry), opinions differ. Some people like them, others consider them disgusting: they ferment for too long (three weeks, or even longer), the mash does not rise above 12°, the yield of moonshine is lower than usual.

And the main complaint is that it is impossible to dilute the yeast, since it does not dissolve well, even if it sits all night in warm water. The topic is discussed on the forums. But, apparently, the main thing here is personal experience, and adherence to the recipe plays an important role.

There is a practice-tested suggestion - after soaking, turn on the blender (if it has a bowl, do the fermentation directly in it) and beat the yeast for a couple of minutes. After this, the process proceeds intensively.

On raw (pressed)

Raw alcoholic Belarusian yeast (as opposed to dry yeast) has a positive rating, it is famous everywhere, and there are also excellent domestic brands: Voronezh, Record, Standard and others. Their advantages:

• low price and cost of the finished product;
• the amount of alcohol in the mash can reach 18 or even 20%. At bakeries – a maximum of 12%!
• not strong foaming, which allows you to fill the container with mash not by 2/3 of the volume, but by ¾;
• moonshine made with alcohol yeast is guaranteed to have only a faint odor;
• if you need to quickly obtain a distillation product, it is better to use those labeled Active or Turbo and additionally feed them.

The simplest recipe for 20 liters of water will look like this:

• sugar in the mash (based on the required proportions) should be 4 kg;
• raw yeast – 400g.

Based on the indicated amount of ingredients, you can get about 2200 ml of moonshine with a strength of 45° for alcohol and about 2000 ml for bakery ones.

Optimal quantity

Both deficiency and overconsumption of yeast negatively affects the quantitative and qualitative indicators of moonshine.

1. Insufficient quantity provokes weak fermentation. As a result, the mash gains strength and the final product will be significantly less than expected. If, after the first day after the mash is set, there is no foam, then there may be two reasons: low wort temperature and/or lack of yeast. Remedy: heat and add!
2. Oversupply– also bad. Yeast is needed to convert sugar into alcohol. They work (depending on the type) until the alcohol level in the brew is 12 - 18%. Then they die, but leave behind a sediment and a persistent unpleasant odor, which will certainly be transferred to the moonshine.

Strictly limit the consumption of yeast; only in this case will you get raw alcohol that is correct and optimal in terms of organoleptic characteristics.

Hi all! Today we will talk about yeast. Lately I have often been asked the question - What yeast is best to use for mash? I decided to devote a separate post to this problem, since I have some experience.

Let me first tell you what types of yeast there are and give their strengths and weaknesses in my opinion. And then I’ll share my opinion on what is better to use.

Are there differences in yeast?

If you pick up two packs of yeast - bakery yeast for 50 rubles per 100 grams (for example, Voronezh or Saf-Levur) and special whiskey yeast for 700 rubles (Safspirit, etc.) and look at the composition, you will see both the inscription “yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae”. The question immediately arises: if both packs contain the same thing, then where does such a colossal difference in price come from and why overpay tenfold? Not everything is so simple, there are differences and now I will tell you about them.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the name of a species of yeast that feeds on sugar. This type is also called Baker's yeast.

The species is divided into strains for different specializations. In our case, we are interested in strains for the production of alcohol - wine, whiskey, calvados, etc.

Thus, for both bread baking and the preparation of alcoholic beverages, really one type of yeast is used, but with different strains, which can give different results. Moreover, the manufacturer may not indicate the specific name of the strain.

It is worth noting here that we will not be able to determine which strain of yeast is in the bag. It could be a truly specialized whiskey shop, or it could be a regular bakery. All that remains is to rely on the conscience of the manufacturer.

Below I will go over the main classifications of yeast found in stores.

Wine, spirit and turbo

They are used both in industry and in home distillation. Specially sharpened to produce alcohol and maximum organoleptic properties when preparing mash from aromatic raw materials. In most cases they have increased resistance to alcohol.

There are different specializations - for making wine, whiskey, rum, Calvados, etc. Specialization lies in the fact that a specific strain of yeast is bred for specific raw materials - wine for fruit fermentation, whiskey for grain mash and so on. As a result, mash and moonshine acquire a brighter taste and aroma of the raw materials. In some cases, the yield of alcohol also increases.

There is also turbo yeast. They have increased alcohol tolerance and contain a set of nutrients, which allows you to very quickly (up to 2-3 days) ferment mash with a high alcohol content (low hydraulic module). The most famous names are “Turbo 24”, “Turbo 48”, “Turbo-X”.

You can buy all this at specialized stores for winemakers and moonshiners.

Advantages

• There are really good strains that allow you to achieve high organoleptic qualities of mash and moonshine.
• Some give a very high percentage of alcohol content in the mash - up to 18-20%;
• Turbo yeast ferments quickly. Up to 1 day, according to some manufacturers. I have never fermented in a day, but in 3-4 days it is quite possible;
• Sugar mash does not require turbo yeast special feeding. All the necessary nutrients are already present in the package;
• They produce fewer harmful substances compared to other types of yeast. This is again according to some sellers. Although I readily believe it, because... There is fertilizing and the mash ferments faster.
• Low consumption - 1-3 grams per 1 kg of raw materials (see instructions for specific types).

Flaws

• Price. There are budget options, and there are also very expensive ones. True, this disadvantage is smoothed out by low consumption - 1-3 grams per 1 kg of raw materials.
• You need to go buy it to a specialized store or order online.

Pressed bakery products

Regular baker's yeast, sold in stores or on the market. A classic in moonshine.

Advantages

• Easily available and cheap;
• Ferment to 9-12% alcohol;
• They work a little faster than dry ones;
• You can add it directly to the wort without fermentation.

Flaws

• Very short shelf life. Only 1 day at room temperature and up to 14 in the refrigerator. Always pay attention to the expiration date before purchasing;
• Not stable. May not start due to improper storage or illness;
• Highly desirable feeding.

Dry bakery products

Also regular yeast, which you can buy anywhere. Some of the most popular are Saf-Levur, Saf-Moment, Voronezh, Pakmaya.

Advantages

• The most affordable, sold everywhere;
• Cheap;
• Give a stable result;
• Long shelf life.

Flaws

• Must be activated before use. How to do this is usually written on the packaging. As a rule, just pour warm water (35-38 oC) and let stand for 10-15 minutes. The process is not complicated, so I consider this drawback to be quite insignificant.
• Highly desirable feeding.

Which ones to choose?

If you are a beginner and making your own, then put it on dry. They are more accessible and stable. And only then try pressed and various alcoholic ones. Compare and draw your own conclusions. In our business, the main thing is practice, and everyone has different tastes.

Update from December 29, 2019:

At the moment, I have determined the following list for myself:

• Sugar mash- any dry yeast that is available at your local store. As a rule, this is Saf-Levure. Required with mineral fertilizer. Now I rarely make sugar mash, only under NDRF for infusions.
• Fruit mashes (including from jam) - wine, or Zymasil, or Vitilevure Multiflor. Vitilevur Multiflor is a good product, it contains two strains at once and gives excellent results. But they are expensive, so I often use Zimasil, which also showed good results.
• Flour mash- as a rule Zymasil. If you don’t have them on hand, then use regular dry bakery ones. From flour mash I make NDRF for use in white form.
• Grain mashes — Zymasil or whiskey SafSpirit Malt (M1). Whiskey yeast is excellent, but too expensive. Therefore, only in special cases.

What yeast do you use? Share your experience in the comments. And subscribe to blog news; I will actively develop the topic of moonshine in the near future.

All the best and see you soon.

Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.

Making moonshine is a delicate process, requiring careful attention to every detail. The strength of the final product, its quantity, and taste depend on how high-quality the mash is.

Types of yeast, choice for mash

The basis for making mash is the fermentation process. During this process, sugar from the product is converted into alcohols. In moonshine brewing, yeast cultures are used for this, namely:

• Baker's yeast. They come dry and pressed. Baker's yeast - no best option for making moonshine, they produce a lot of foam and a small yield of moonshine.
• Wine and brewer's yeast, as the name implies, are suitable for wine and beer, and not for making strong drinks.
• Alcoholic yeast is the best option for making mash. When using them, sugars are processed as much as possible, which gives excellent strength of the wort and a greater yield of high-quality moonshine.
• Wild yeast is used if it is not possible to use other types. You can get them yourself, but the result is extremely unpredictable. Instead of moonshine, vinegar, acetone and their most varied combinations with alcohol can come out.

Let's take a closer look at the use of the listed types of yeast for making mash.

Bakery dry and pressed yeast

As the name suggests, this yeast is more suitable for baking, dough making and bakery products. But if you don’t have anything else at hand, then baker’s yeast can also be used for fermentation. You just need to prepare them first.

1. Take warm water and dissolve dry yeast powder or wet briquette in it. Approximately 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of water.
2. Add 2 tablespoons each of granulated sugar and flour.
3. Pour in a couple of glasses of vodka (100 milliliters).
4. Leave the mixture for 24 hours in a warm place, stirring the contents occasionally.

Experienced distillers thus carry out a kind of selection of yeast fungi, removing undesirable strains. The presence of vodka helps get rid of alcohol-phobic species, allowing the development of those yeasts that are resistant to alcohol. If this is neglected, then with a slight increase in the degree of alcohol in the mash, the fermentation process will stop and some of the sugars will not be used. As a result, a low yield of moonshine with minimal strength and an abundance of fusel oils and residual fermentation products.

Wine yeast

Making moonshine using this type of yeast is gradually gaining popularity. Wine yeast lives on overripe grapes, ripe berries and fruits. Today you can purchase ready-made concentrates of these crops. For example, Belarusian wine yeast from the collection of our online store. According to reviews from experienced distillers, when using these yeast cultures, a good yield of a high-quality product is obtained. Moreover, it does not have a sharp fusel odor and does not require additional distillation and purification.

Brewer's yeast

Brewer's yeast is divided into strains for top and bottom fermentation. They are not at all suitable for moonshine, but they have proven themselves to be excellent when brewing beer. Brewer's yeast does not produce a high degree of wort and dies as soon as it exceeds the 5-degree mark. But during fermentation, a lot of dense, elastic foam is released, which is especially appreciated by beer lovers.

Alcohol and turbo yeast

The best option for quickly producing high-quality moonshine. When using them, the mash rapidly gains strength, which allows you to obtain the maximum yield of the finished product. And the price of alcoholic yeast is quite affordable even for beginner distillers. Alcoholic yeast allows you to avoid excessive foam during fermentation, the strength of the wort can reach up to 20 degrees, and the moonshine turns out clean, without foreign impurities and unpleasant odors.

With turbo yeast, the mash ripening period ranges from 2 to 10 days, the duration depends only on the desire to obtain a stronger product. They do not require fermentation (activation) unlike ordinary alcoholic ones.

"Wild" yeast for moonshine

You can prepare yeast for mash yourself. There are many technologies for producing moonshine using “handicraft” starter cultures. They are made with rye bread, old jam, hops, and potatoes. The only advantage is low cost, but there are a whole bunch of disadvantages:

• How do you find out which strains are multiplying in the sourdough starter, and what will they do in the mash?
• How much of the “wild” mixture should be added and how much sugar, water, and fertilizer should be added to it?
• How long will the fermentation take and what will be the yield of moonshine?

If you use “artisanal” starters, then it is impossible to know the answers to these questions in advance, just as it is impossible to predict what we will get as a result. moonshine still. Manufacturers of ready-made yeast have already selected the most suitable strains and calculated the optimal recipe for the mash.

Which yeast is better to choose?

Distillers' opinions differ on the issue of choosing yeast for moonshine. Some people prefer bakery ones, but others will continue to use them the same way they put them on their great-grandfather’s old footcloth. For beginners, it is best to use alcohol-based ones. They will ensure consistent success and are easy to use.

Conditions for yeast to “work”

You shouldn’t think that it’s enough to pour water, add sugar and leaven, and you’ll immediately get moonshine that’s “clean as a tear.” For yeast cultures to work, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions, monitor their growth, development, and care for the mash.

Top dressing

Like all living organisms, yeast needs a balanced diet for full growth and active work. The basis of their diet is sugars, which are processed by yeast fungi into alcohol. But in addition they need:

• Ammonia and its salts,
• A set of microelements,
• Complex of vitamins, especially B vitamins.

To do this, you need to prepare a special fertilizer. You can use nettle for it ( most valuable source B vitamins), phosphates and ammonium salts, microelement complexes. The most popular fertilizer that you can make yourself is made from a mixture rye flour, steamed peas, nettle leaves, malt and raisins. You can also buy a ready-made mixture that contains in the right proportions everything necessary for the growth and development of yeast.

Water and its temperature

Just as in the famous advertisement “not all yoghurts are equally healthy,” not every tap liquid is suitable for the life of yeast. Heavily chlorinated water will simply kill most yeast cultures, a lot of foam will form in soft water, and sugar will not be fully processed in hard water. It is optimal to use the “golden mean” - moderately hard water with a neutral reaction. In it, yeast fungi feel comfortable, actively feed and reproduce.

Yeast, like other fungi, does not like heat, cold, or light. Therefore, the mash should be kept in a warm, dark place. The optimal water temperature should be between 20-22 degrees, without sharp jumps. Any stress negatively affects the final product, reducing the strength, quantity and quality of the finished moonshine.

Fermentation container

To prepare mash, you need a clean container with a water seal, for example, like this one. Previously, milk flasks were especially popular, but today containers made of food-grade plastic or containers made of food-grade or medical steel, as well as glass, are increasingly used. Rubber, iron and galvanization are absolutely not suitable, and you should not take aluminum either.

Even completely new containers should be thoroughly washed with hot water and detergent to avoid harmful substances and mold getting into the mash.

The most important component of mash is yeast. It is thanks to them that the fermentation process (biochemical reaction) occurs, as a result of which sugar is processed into alcohol. Also, the quality of the finished product (moonshine) and its yield in volume terms depend on them. In addition to baker's yeast, there are special ones that are intended for the production of alcohol. Below we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of specialized yeast intended for the production of alcoholic beverages, and you will decide for yourself which yeast for mash is best suited for you.

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Alcoholic yeast

Such yeast is intended for the production of alcohol on an industrial scale. Also, they are quite well suited for making mash by home craftsmen. The following indicators stand out as their main advantages:

• Resistance to high percentage of alcohol in mash. The strength of mash wort can reach 18 degrees and at the same time, the yeast will do its job properly. Thanks to this, the yield of the finished product naturally increases.
• The fermentation process occurs much faster than when using conventional baker's yeast. So, with the right temperature conditions, the sugar mash is ready in three or four days, and the grain version of the mash will be prepared even faster. Typically, fruit-based mash takes the longest to prepare, but if you use alcoholic yeast in the product, the process will be reduced to seven days.
• There is no increased foaming, so the container can be filled almost completely, leaving a small gap.
• They are stored for quite a long time and do not require special conditions.
• They do not have a yeasty smell, which affects the final result.

Like any product, alcoholic yeast also has disadvantages:

• Such yeast is sold only in specialized stores, which is why its availability to the majority of the population is limited. As an alternative, you can use the services of online stores.
• The price for alcohol yeast is much higher than for bakery yeast, so even a fairly high percentage of the yield of an alcohol-containing drink does not cover the costs.

Turbo yeast for mash

Turbo yeast is an alcohol product with improved properties. It is believed that this is the most suitable option for making mash. This is due to the following advantages:

• Increased resistance to alcohol. Thanks to their use, it is possible to obtain a mash with a twenty percent alcohol content.
• Fast fermentation. Subject to technological process the mash will be ready for further distillation after two days.
• There is no need to add fertilizer, since all the required substances are already included in the product.
• No fermentation required. The yeast is simply poured into the mash.
• Low foaming makes it possible to use the container with maximum efficiency.
• Various versions of turbo yeast can work effectively both at low temperatures (up to +10 degrees) and at high temperatures (up to +33 degrees).
• The mash is obtained with a minimum amount of harmful fusel oils, this is explained by the speed of fermentation.
• Turbo yeast does not change the taste of the finished drink and therefore can be successfully used for grain or fruit and vegetable mash.

By analyzing the advantages of such yeast, we can answer the question “Which yeast is better for mash?” Turbo yeast is an ideal option for homemade mash, unless of course you take into account some negative aspects:

• Significantly high cost, which makes the final product quite expensive.
• Sold only in specialized stores.
• During the process of ripening the mash, a large volume of carbon dioxide is released and if you use a glove instead of a shutter, it can simply be torn off, which will increase the preparation period of the product.

Wine yeast for moonshine

Grapes are a breeding ground for wild strains of wine yeast. In areas where viticulture is practiced, they are used to make traditional chacha. Dry grape yeast is offered to the industry, which can also be successfully added to homemade mash. Their advantages are the following indicators:

• They are a purified product, unlike strains taken from berries.
• With their help, you can get a mash with an alcohol content of 17 percent.
• Braga, like the resulting alcohol-containing drink, does not have the characteristic odor of yeast.
• Enhances the taste of grape mash.
• They are the most suitable option for making chacha or cognac drink. Grain mash They also produce excellent quality.
• They are stored for a long time.

The disadvantage of wine yeast is the slow processing of sugar, which is why their use for preparing sugar mash is not recommended.

You can make a wild version of wine yeast yourself using one of the recipes:

• Two glasses of hops are poured into four glasses of water, the container is placed on the fire until the volume is halved. Then add two tablespoons of sugar and six tablespoons of flour. Everything is mixed and left in a warm place to ferment for three days.
• One and a half glasses of ground malt, half a glass of flour, a quarter glass of sugar and two and a half glasses of water are thoroughly mixed. The mixture is boiled for 60 minutes and sent to ferment in a warm place for two days.
• Mix unwashed raspberries and rose hips, one hundred grams of sugar and a glass of water. The resulting composition is placed in a warm place for three days.

Homemade wine yeast can be poured into mash wort in a ratio of 100 milliliters of yeast per liter of water.

When choosing the best yeast option for mash, you should rely on your taste preferences and ease of preparing the drink.