Experienced moonshiners know that grain moonshine is much better than regular sugar mash. But it will take more time and effort to prepare it. We will look at how to make moonshine from wheat or other grains (barley, oats, millet or corn) at home. The technology is not very complicated, anyone can repeat it.
First, let's deal with the taste of grain moonshine, it depends on the choice of culture. Wheat makes a soft drink. Strong and sharp moonshine can be driven out of rye, something like whiskey comes out of barley. The choice of raw materials is yours. Personally, I prefer wheat.
Ingredients:
- grain - 2.5 kg;
- water - 25 liters;
- sugar - 6 kg;
- dry yeast - 100 grams (or 500 grams pressed);
- fermented baked milk (kefir) of high fat content - 0.5 liters.
Before soaking, the grain should lie at least 2 months. It is better to use alcoholic yeast, rather than baker's yeast, then the fermentation will be more intense. Sugar increases yield without compromising quality.
Wheat Moonshine Recipe
1. Preparation of malt. Lay the wheat in a layer of no more than 2 cm on flat pallets, then soak in warm water. Water should only slightly cover the grain, otherwise it will not germinate. Place pallets in a warm (18-25°C) dark place.
On the second or third day after soaking, the first shoots will appear. If they are not there, then the grain is of poor quality and you will have to take another one. During germination, turn the wheat once a day so that it does not become moldy and sour.
When the sprouts reach 2 cm in length and begin to intertwine with each other, remove the grains from the water without separating.
Sprouting wheat 2. Cooking mash. Add warm water (50-60°C) and sugar to a 40 liter container. Mix well. Wait until the water cools down to 28-30°C. Then add the malt made in the previous step and the yeast diluted according to the instructions on the package. Stir again, then install a water seal on the container. During fermentation, the room temperature should be between 18-28°C.
3. Distillation. Strain the mash that has won back (it will taste bitter without sweetness) through a colander to filter the wheat. The collected grain can be used 2-3 more times. The quality of moonshine will not deteriorate.
Add 0.5 liters of kefir or other fermented milk product to the wheat mash to eliminate the fusel smell.
Overtake the mash on a moonshine still of any design, selecting the distillate, until the strength in the jet drops below 35 degrees.
4. Cleaning. An optional step, but many experienced moonshiners clean the moonshine with charcoal after distillation, even if it is not from sugar, but from cereals.
5. Redistillation. Improves the quality of wheat moonshine. Measure the strength, determine the amount of pure alcohol. Dilute the distillate with water up to 20% and overtake a second time. The first 8-15% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol is poured into a separate container. This is a harmful fraction that worsens the taste. When the strength in the jet falls below 40 degrees, complete the selection of the main fraction.
Wheat moonshine is better to distill twice 6. Dilution. Dilute the resulting moonshine of the second distillation with water to the desired strength (usually 40-45 degrees). Before use, it is advisable to let it brew for 2-3 days to stabilize the taste.
The result is approximately 6-7 liters of the finished product with a strength of 40 degrees.
The technology of cooking without sugar is shown in the video.
Grain moonshine in its taste characteristics is much superior to a product that is made on the basis of sugar. In this case, a special grain germination is carried out, during which the starch is split into sugar molecules, as a result of which it is possible to obtain high-quality live moonshine.
To get high-quality grain moonshine, you must strictly follow the technology of its preparation, otherwise you may fail completely.
Since simple sugars must be fermented by yeast to produce alcohol, it is clear that sugar is needed. During the germination process, starch is converted into sugar, and this property is used when creating moonshine from grains of wheat or other grains.
You can buy ready-made enzymes, but many people prefer to do everything with their own hands, how to do it right will be discussed further. After the starch is converted into sugar, the fermentation process begins, and the mash comes out, the strength of which can reach 12% vol. It remains to overtake the resulting mash, and you will get high-quality moonshine.
The process of obtaining malt
In order for starch to be converted into sugar, malt must be cooked, as it contains enzymes that are necessary for this process.
The preparation of malt is carried out in several stages:
- at the first stage, grain is selected. It must be borne in mind that it is better not to take the grain of a new crop, or it is necessary that it rest for at least 2 months and must be clean, without impurities;
- during soaking, the grain begins to germinate, while the necessary biological processes are activated;
- during its germination, the maximum amount of enzymes is formed;
- in order to strengthen and strengthen the enzyme base, a languishing process is carried out, that is, at this time the grain is slightly dried without moisture.
At home, wheat, barley, or oats are most commonly used for malting, as these are the most readily available and cheapest grains, but they can be millet, rye, or other grains. For more information on germinating barley, see this helpful video:
After the grain has been cleaned of impurities and sieved, it is poured into an airtight box and filled with water, after a while all the garbage will float up, it is removed along with water and filled with fresh water. The thickness of the grain layer should be about 10 cm, everything is poured with water so that it covers it by 3-5 cm, and left for a day. In winter, it is enough to mix the grain several times during this time, and in summer it is better to change the water 2-3 times. Be aware that hard water slows grain growth.
After a day, the water from the grain is completely drained, and it must be washed. It should feel damp to the touch, but no water should flow from it.
During this time, there is an increase in grain moisture content by 35 - 50%.
A longer soak can also be given, but this can be done until a white liquid appears at the break of the grain, which indicates that it has been overexposed in water. It is no longer suitable for the preparation of high-quality malt, so it is given to animal feed.
At the next stage, the grain should breathe, for this it is distributed with a layer of 5-8 cm and left for 6-8 hours. During this time, it must be mixed 2-3 times, for this they are picked up and lifted above the box and poured back, so it is blown through and carbon dioxide is removed from it.
The growing process lasts from 4 to 12 days, it all depends on the type of grain used, its quality, temperature and humidity in the room.
At the next stage of germination, the grain is covered with a layer of 10 cm in monolithic boxes or those that have a mesh bottom. In boxes with a mesh bottom, it will be necessary to mix the grain less often. Boxes can be torn open with a damp cloth or not.
When drying, the malt must be turned over and shaken.
Every 6-8 hours, the boxes must be shaken and the grain turned over so that carbon dioxide is removed, if it dries up, then it must be moistened a little, but not filled with water. At the bottom of the box, moisture should not accumulate, if this happens, then it must be removed.
Wheat begins to germinate most quickly, then barley, and then oats, after 2-3 days the temperature inside the mixture begins to rise, it must not be allowed to be above 24 ° C, so the mixture must be constantly stirred and the layer thickness reduced to 3-5 cm.
It should not be allowed that during the moistening of the grains they are oversaturated with water, it is better that there is a little less moisture than an excess.
Please note that during this process a lot of harmful bacteria appear on the surface, therefore, before drying and grinding the malt, disinfection must be carried out, for which the malt is soaked for 1 hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, you can use 1% sulfuric acid solution for this. To learn how to make malt with your own hands, see this video:
If we talk about the weight of malt, then it is more than the weight of grain, approximately 1.5 times, after receiving green malt, it can be stored for several days, and if longer is needed, then it must be stored at a temperature of 2-5 ° C.
You can dry the malt, this is done at 40 ° C, then it can be stored for a long time.
If you store it in a closed container, and its humidity is not more than 3%, then it retains its properties for several years. Such malt has a white color, and its activity in relation to green will be about 80%, this must be taken into account when you add it to the wort.
malted milk
To make grain-based moonshine, the next step is to make malted milk, a mixture of water and malt.
During this process, enzymes are extracted from the malt into a liquid, after which it is mixed with a starchy wort.
In order for saccharification to be of high quality, it is better to use a mixture of different types of malt. It is not recommended to use malt and starchy wort from the same type of grain.
When water and malt are mixed, malted milk is formed.
If you want to make wheat moonshine, the malt recipe for wheat should consist of 50% and 25% each of oat and rye malt. You can also use 50% barley and rye or barley and millet.
After the malt is ready, it must be crushed and diluted in water, the temperature of which should be about 30 ° C. For 1 kg of green malt, 2 liters of water are needed, and for this amount of white malt ─ 3 liters of water, thus obtaining a product called malted milk.
Wort preparation
At the first stage, boiling is carried out, steam is used for this, since cereals can burn from the action of an open fire. For this, it is very convenient to use a steam generator. The container for this can be made of stainless steel or other material, as long as it is made of a chemically neutral material. To learn how to prepare the wort, see this video:
4 liters of water are added per 1 kg of raw material and the mixture is brought to 60 ° C, after which it is maintained within these limits for 15 minutes. If you get a very thick wort, then it must be diluted with malted milk, which can be added from 10 to 20% of the total.
After that, the temperature is again raised by 5 ° C and maintained in these parameters for another 15 minutes, then the steam generator is turned on at full power and the mixture is brought to a boil, while it must be stirred every 10 - 15 minutes. The mixture should boil for 1.5-2 hours, if the boil is violent, then you can stop stirring.
The duration of this process will depend on the quality of the soaking of the raw material and its grinding.
It is better to cool the boiled wort quickly, when the temperature drops to 65 ° C, then add the malted milk and stir everything well. For 1 kg of green malt, there are 4-5 kg of the main raw material, and white malt needs 20% more.
Now it is necessary to close the container, insulate it, periodically mix it to go through the saccharification process, which takes 1.5 - 2 hours. During this period, it is necessary to maintain the temperature as much as possible, otherwise bacteria may develop. If the temperature is above 70 °C, the enzymes are destroyed and the saccharification process stops. 
During this time, the wort should become sweet in taste, which means that the saccharification process was successful. Now you need to quickly cool the resulting mass to 30 ° C, and yeast can be added. It is very important to carry out rapid cooling, this process should not take place slowly. If the cooling process is not accelerated, then during its natural course there is a high probability of rapid reproduction of bacteria in a sweet environment favorable for them.
In order for the yeast to do its job properly, the temperature must be 28 - 30 ° C.
If the temperature is lower, then the fermentation process slows down, and at a higher temperature, wild yeast develops, and the percentage of alcohol yield decreases.
If you add dry yeast, then you need about 3 g per 1 kg of raw materials, and if pressed yeast, then about 15 g. In order for the yeast to quickly capture the saccharified solution, it is better to introduce it not directly, but in the form of a solution in warm water. If you have pressed yeast, then for 1 kg you need to take 10 liters of water.
To pre-ferment the yeast, sugar is added to such a solution at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 kg of yeast and 0.5 l of malt.
Fermentation should take place in a container with a water seal
Fermentation takes place in a hermetically sealed container with a water seal. During this, foam will form, therefore, so that it is not thrown out through the water lock, the container must be filled no more than 80%.
This process must not be allowed to occur at temperatures above 30 ° C, if it rises, then the fermentation tank must be artificially cooled.
The fermentation process can take place over different periods of time, this is influenced by the quality of all components and other factors. When no gas is released from the water seal, this indicates that the fermentation is over. When you open the container, you will see that the liquid has brightened, particles of grain can float on its surface, and it is practically motionless. To taste, the liquid will have a pleasant sweet and sour taste, its acidity is in the range of 4.8-5.5 pH.
Depending on the raw materials used, compliance with the technology, there can be from 5 to 12% alcohol in the mash.
distillation process
At home, it is best to distill the mash with a steam generator. Distillation is carried out in a stainless steel container, which must be filled no more than 70% of its volume. Until the mash boils, the heating process is carried out quickly, and after it boils, the heating power must be immediately reduced. To get ready-made moonshine, you can use an ordinary moonshine still, consisting of a coil, a steamer and a container for collecting moonshine. To learn how whiskey wort is brewed, see this video:
Such moonshine is made for its further use, therefore, it is necessary to carefully select " heads"and"tails". "Heads" are selected at the minimum power of the steam generator. Their number will be from 3 - 5% of the total volume. This can be determined exactly by checking the smell and taste, as well as rubbing the finished product in the palm of your hand.
The food fraction is taken at a high heating rate, but it must be controlled so that splashes of boiling mash do not get into the moonshine.
The fact that you get a cloudy product is to blame for the splashes of mash that got into it, and not the recipes for grain moonshine. It is necessary to select food moonshine until its strength is below 40% vol. You can check this with an alcohol meter or a folk method ─ while it burns.
There are a lot of heavy fractions in the tails, so they are not suitable for eating, they are left and added to the mash during the next distillation. In the event that you plan to carry out further rectification of the resulting moonshine, then you can not separate the “ heads" and " tails", But select everything at once.
The taste of moonshine
Depending on the main raw material, the taste of the final product will change. If it is wheat, then the moonshine will be soft and slightly sweet. If in this case barley malt is used, then the vodka will taste like whiskey, oat malt will add sharpness, and rye malt will add strength.
The taste of moonshine will depend on the composition of the mash and the quality of the raw materials
If the main raw material is rye, then the taste will be pleasant and hard. When making moonshine from oats, there will be a sharp and pungent taste without sweetening, as is the case with wheat.
Making vodka on barley allows you to get a drink with a whiskey flavor, and if you make a few distillations, you get a product that tastes like this noble drink.
In any case, no matter what main raw material you use, if you follow the technology at all stages of making grain moonshine, you can get a quality product that will not be inferior in its characteristics to the vodka that is sold in the store.
Vodka from grain raw materials is a real product that cannot be compared with seasoned sugar moonshine. The transformation of a living sprout into an organism capable of splitting starch into sugar molecules in a short time, isolating a live note of the product from the “bread”, which will subsequently delight the hosts and guests, all this is GRAIN. It grows, it transforms and gives, it is alive, like a living product from it - moonshine. But as far as the grain is fertile, so it needs an approach with love, otherwise the fiasco is not far off. To love, to realize, to work for glory together with knowledge, and this living and eternal will thank and inspire. Laziness is not applicable to the process of turning grain into moonshine, and therefore I would like to see true connoisseurs of this product near this article, sparing no effort and effort for a noble cause.
So - alcohol is formed from the fermentation of simple sugars by yeast, which means we need sugar. Sugar can be obtained from grain by converting the starch it contains. This is achieved with the help of enzymes.
There are ready-made enzymes, but for supporters of a natural product, I recommend the method presented below.
Having converted the starch from grain raw materials into sugar, we put it on fermentation, and after a while, we get a brew with a certain amount of alcohol, which, depending on technological moments, can range from a minimum to 12%.
The mash is distilled, and we get a saturated alcohol solution - moonshine (SS).
Process sequence:
- malt preparation;
- preparation of wort from starch-containing raw materials;
- digestion of the wort;
- preparation of malted milk;
- saccharification of wort;
- preparation of yeast mash;
- must fermentation;
- distillation of the finished mash.
Getting malt.
Malt is needed to convert starch into sugar.
It contains enzymes that stimulate this process.
The cultivation of malt takes place in several stages:
- Grain selection(grain for malt MUST NOT be fresh, after a new harvest, the grain must rest for at least 2 months).
The grain must be clean, light, without impurities, and sifted. - Grain soaking.
The goal is to activate growth, incl. biochemical and other processes. - Growing.
By germinating the grain, a maximum is achieved in the amount of enzymes contained in it. - Languor.
Strengthening and strengthening of the enzyme base in the grain. The grain is dried without moisture.
Grain soaking.
The cleaned and sifted grain is poured into boxes about 10 cm high. For these purposes, household polyethylene (pictured) is suitable. After a few hours, we remove the floating debris and low-quality grain, drain the water, wash the grain, and fill it with fresh water. It is desirable to soak in water with low hardness, because. excessive amounts of salts slow down grain growth and enzyme activity. Pour water above the grain level by 3-5 cm. To enhance the germination process, the water should be changed - in summer 2-3 times a day, in winter - mixing 2-3 times a day is enough. Soaking time 1 day.
Important!
Water from the grain must be drained COMPLETELY.
The grain should look and feel moist, but not wet.
The moisture content of the grain after soaking rises to 35-49%%.
If the steeping is longer, which is also possible, the main thing is not to allow a white liquid to stand out from the grain at the break - this is the first sign that the grain has been overexposed to water and is not suitable for malt.
Such grain is definitely thrown away.
Growing grain.
After soaking, the grain should “breathe”. To do this, wet, but not wet grain, distribute in boxes with a layer of 5-10 cm. for 6-8 hours.
Every 2-3 hours we mix the grain with our hands, lifting it above the boxes and blowing it with air in order to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in it.
The growth process for each type of grain is different. Often the duration of this process depends on the method of cultivation, the quality of raw materials, the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air, and can last from 4 to 12 days.
We fill the boxes with soaked grain, which “breathed” with a layer of 10 cm. We leave for 8-12 hours. Boxes for this can be used both monolithic and with a mesh bottom, in which the amount of further mixing can be reduced.
Grain boxes can be either covered with a damp cloth or left open. For clarity, the left side of the photo will be with boxes covered with a damp cloth, the right side is an open box.
After the first 8-12 hours of germination, the grain is agitated, for which the boxes are shaken, the grain is lifted by hand, and blown to remove carbon dioxide. If the grain is dry, it is sprayed, but not soaked in any way. For 5 kg of dry grain at the time of growth, no more than 50-70 g of water is used for spraying. After spraying, there should be no water at the bottom of the box. Wet grain is mixed and this continues until it is ready.
For high-quality and fast growth of malt, the grain is turned every 6-8 hours and sprayed accordingly, moistening it slightly. In case of accumulated moisture at the bottom of the box, the grain must be dried and the water removed.
The first 1.5 days of germination.
After 2-3 days, the temperature inside the grain begins to rise to 20-24 degrees. It is advisable not to allow it to rise higher (grain sweating), for which the grain is stirred, blown and moistened. It can be recommended to reduce the layer of germinated grain to 3-5cm.
Third day of germination.
Seventh day of germination.
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Oats increased in volume by about 1.5 times, the roots reach 1 cm, sprouts are observed. After three days, with proper moisture, the grain will be ready as malt. |
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| Barley germinated confidently, the roots intertwine with each other and, when raised, pull several grains along with them. The sprouts have reached a length of 5-7mm. The grain smells of a distant cucumber smell. The process of germinating barley for malt is completed. Bittersweet to bite. | |
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A grain of wheat has sprouted confidently, the roots are more than a centimeter long, the sprouts are 5-7 mm, some are more than a centimeter. The smell of fresh cucumbers of this grain is superior. The taste of the grain is definitely sweet. The germination process has been terminated. |
Some moments of germination.
Cereals with husks hold more moisture than those without. Therefore, the moisturizing of each type should be carried out selectively, preventing the grain from being oversaturated with water once again. It is better to under-moisten than to give excess water to the germinating grain.
Malt disinfection.
There are many harmful bacteria on the surface of the grain. It is advisable to remove them. For this purpose, before grinding the malt into malted milk or before drying, it is recommended to soak the malt for 0.5-1 hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).
Good results are shown by a disinfecting solution of sulfuric acid (1%).
After 7 days, we received already germinated barley and wheat grains as malt for saccharification of starchy grains.
But still, I recommend keeping it for about 2 more days without adding moisture and stirring after -10 hours.
Malted oat grain is ready for 10 days.
Cooked malt is green. The weight of malt to grain before germination increased by 1.5 times. This malt has the highest activity. Green malt is stored for no more than a few days, and if so, then the temp is desirable. storage down to 2-5 deg.
Green malt can be dried for storage.
To do this, it is dried with constant stirring at a temperature. no more than 40 degrees. With an increase in temp. drying enzymes are killed.
The malt is dried to a state of "white" until it has solidified to the full depth and has a moisture content of up to 3%. Stored for years in a tightly closed container.
The weight of white malt in relation to the weight of germinated grain is 0.9/1.
The activity of white malt is slightly lower than green malt, and is about 80%. Therefore, when adding it to the wort, this moment must be taken into account.
Making malted milk
Malted milk is a mixture of malt and water. The essence of the process is the complete extraction of enzymes into liquid (water) with further mixing with starch-containing wort.
Because there are a number of enzymes, for high-quality and complete saccharification of starch-containing wort, it is desirable to use a mixture of several malts. The use of malt from the same grain that is processed, Not recommended.
Approximate composition of malt for some types of basic raw materials
- wheat:
50% barley, 25% oat, and 25% rye malts.
A good result comes out with the percentage replacement of barley with rye.
You can also use a mixture of rye and barley 50/50, barley and millet 50/50, etc. - rye:
wheat - 50%, barley - 25%, oats - 25%.
wheat - 50%, barley - 40%, oats - 10%.
barley and oats 50% each, etc.
So, we chose the composition of the malt. Grind it, the smaller the better. Dissolve in warm, about 30 degrees. water.
Green - 1kg in 2l of water, white - 1kg in 3l of water.
Received ready-made malted milk.
Its storage time is very short, but when the temp. closer to zero, it is allowed to store for several days.
Wort preparation
Boiling.
Cooking is done with steam. Open flame burns and is not suitable for cereals.
For this we use PG (steam generator).
STEAM GENERATOR is a sealed container with water, heated by heating elements or other heat source.
The output from the steam generator is a steam pipe, the end of which is a BUBBLER.
BUBBLER - a straight pipe, or curved: spiral, accordion, etc., in which holes are made for the exit of hot steam coming from the bubbler. The outgoing hot steam from the bubbler is the source of heating + boiling of starch-containing mixtures.
Wort container.
The container can serve as a stainless steel tank or others. The main condition is to prevent the reaction products from the container, catalysts, etc., used in the production of the material of this container, from getting into the mixture.
Crushed grain (crushed grain, flour) is poured with hot water at a temp. about 50 deg. The whole mixture is constantly stirred in order to prevent the formation of lumps.
For a kilogram of feedstock, add 4 liters of water. We bring the temperature of the mixture to 55-60 degrees. We fix the temperature for 15 minutes, so that the enzymes contained in the crushed grain itself begin their work. If the wort is thick, you can pour some of the already prepared malted milk into it and stir. This is approximately 1/10-1/5 of the total prepared.
Next, turn on the PG to the fullest. Let's pick up the pace. wort for another 5 degrees. and pause for 15 minutes. After that, with stirring every 10-15 minutes, turn on the steam generator to the full, and bring the wort to a boil.
We set the power of the steam generator so that the mixture boils. The boiling time is from 1.5 to 2 hours. The worse the raw material (soaked, spoiled grain), and the coarser the grinding, the longer the uncooking time. During boiling / boiling, if the process is violent, the mixing process can be stopped.
Saccharification.
We cool the boiled wort (preferably quickly, without leaving it for self-cooling) to a temperature of 65 degrees and add malted milk. Mix thoroughly. A drill with a nozzle is suitable for this.
The amount of malted milk is introduced at the rate of 1 kg of green malt per 4-5 kg of basic. raw materials, "white", respectively, by 20% (mass of not yet dried malt) more.
We close the container with raw materials and the malt introduced into it, warm it and mix it thoroughly every 15-30 minutes. Saccharification time from 1.5 to 2 hours. During this period, it is very important not to lower the temperature, because. increase the chances of bacterial growth. Increasing the temperature above 70 degrees. in turn leads to the destruction of enzymes and the cessation of saccharification.
After the specified time, the wort acquires a confident sweet taste. This means that the saccharification process is successful. An iodine test as an indicator of complete saccharification is not an indicator in this case.
Cooling.
The sugared mass is prepared for fermentation. To do this, we cool it very quickly to a temperature of 28-30 degrees. and add yeast. Passive cooling is not allowed.
For cooling, you can use a copper tube dia. 10-20mm, which is twisted into a spiral. It is lowered into a congestion, which is constantly stirred, and cold water passes through the tube with maximum pressure. The rapid cooling process is VERY important because its slowdown contributes to the rapid multiplication of bacteria in the nutrient medium of the saccharified mixture.
Introduction of yeast.
For normal operation of yeast, a temperature in the range of 28-30 degrees is required. A decrease in temperature slows down the fermentation process, up to its stop, and an increase promotes the reproduction of wild yeast, which in turn reduces the yield of alcohols. Increasing temp. fermentation up to 32 degrees, increases the coefficient. reproduction of wild yeast 2-3 times, at 37-38 degrees. they multiply 6-8 times faster.
The amount of yeast added:
- dry, for example, SAF-LEVUR - 1g per 300-350g of the initial, main raw material.
- pressed, for example, LVOV - 1 g per 60-80 g of raw materials.
In order to increase the quick and high-quality capture of the saccharified wort by the cultural yeast, it is recommended to introduce the yeast not directly, but to make a yeast mash beforehand. To do this, the yeast is bred in warm, about 30 degrees. water. About 10-14 liters of water can be taken per kilogram of pressed yeast.
At the same time, while ensuring the activity of the yeast mash, the yeast can be pre-fermented. For this purpose, a certain amount of sugar (half a liter per kilo of pressed yeast) and half a liter of malt, previously left for these purposes, are added to the prepared yeast mash. All this is mixed, and after half an hour, we observe the foam on the surface of the solution. This is the job of the yeast. Half an hour - an hour, and yeast fermented mash, pour into the wort, cooled to 28-30 degrees. Mix thoroughly and leave to ferment in a cool place.
We close the container hermetically and put a water seal.
In order to prevent the release of foam through the water seal, it is recommended to fill the tank with foaming in mind. By volume units, this is about 10-15% of the volume of the wort. So, for example, it is not advisable to fill a container of 200 liters with more than 170 liters.
During the fermentation period, it is important that the wort does not overheat. Normal operation occurs at 28-30 degrees. We lower the temperature increase by blowing air or pouring cold water over the fermentation tank.
The fermentation time of cereals depends on many factors, incl. on the quality of yeast, temp. premises, etc. The average time can be called from 4 to 5 days. An indicator of complete fermentation can be called the cessation of gas release from the water seal tube. The mash becomes almost immobile, solid parts of the grain can float on top of it, and the liquid itself has become lighter, often with a hint of the color of the grain. If you take the mash for a sample of acidity, then it will be in the range of 4.8-5.5. The taste of the mash is pleasant and has a bitter-sour taste.
The amount of alcohol in the mash depends both on the technology of the wort preparation process and on the quality of the components. This percentage can be in the range of 5-12%.
Simple distillation of mash.
Ready grain mash is distilled with the help of steam. For this we use the same steam generator.
Braga boils with the help of steam coming from a bubbler. For distillation, we use a stainless container, which is filled no more than 2/3 of the total volume to prevent the release of foam into the selection. Until the moment of boiling, the heating process is carried out as quickly as possible, but at the first sign of boiling of the mash, we reduce the power. For condensation of outgoing vapors, incl. and alcohol, which is part of them, we can use a simple distillation apparatus.
If moonshine will be used as a drink in the future, in this case it is necessary to more carefully approach the separation of head and tail fractions. To this end, at a low speed with a minimum power of the PG, we slowly select the heads. The percentage of head selection can be considered within 3-5 of the total amount of expected alcohol (in absolute value). It is more accurately determined organoleptically by smell, rubbing in the palm of your hand, taste. Heads are FORBIDDEN to be used as a food product.
The selection of the food fraction of moonshine is carried out at a higher speed, but we control that splashes from boiling mash do not fall into the selection, which, by the type of moonshine, make it cloudy and with the corresponding taste of mash. As food, moonshine of the first stage can be considered one that has a density of at least 40% alcohol content, according to the old - "while it burns." Further condensate contains a significant amount of heavy fractions, and it can be used for subsequent distillation. The temperature of the mash, to which simple distillation is carried out, is 97-98 degrees. Further selection is accompanied by a much greater release of fusel oils.
If moonshine, also known as raw alcohol (SS), is further intended for rectification, then the separation of heads and tails can be neglected. In the selection we mix the entire shoulder strap.
Taste properties of moonshine from different types of raw materials.
Wheat congestion. When using wheat as the main raw material, the vodka is softer and sweeter. The use of rye as malt increases the rigidity and gives a certain “fortress” to the drink. Barley in the form of malt adds flavor to whiskey, adding beer echoes to vodka. Oats - grain for sharpness of taste.
Rye congestion. Vodka from this raw material will not be a soft drink. She is tough, but nice. Comparing its taste qualities are approximate to Moskovskaya vodka from the times of the USSR.
Oat based vodka. This product is distinguished by its sharpness and sharpness. Purity of taste without “salting”, here is a more accurate comparison. At the time of the Union, Posolskaya vodka was a similarity.
Barley vodka. Barley vodka is a ready-to-use whiskey-flavored product. Its double, triple distillation will outshine many tastes of noble drinks.
Have fun and enjoy your drinks!
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Moonshine from wheat appeared in ancient Russia. It was one of the most beloved and widespread merry drinks, without which no merry Russian holiday could do. Thanks to natural raw materials and excellent taste, the preparation of moonshine from wheat has come down to our times; many distillers make it at home. It's no secret that grain moonshine, properly made, tastes better than distillate made from sugar mash. To make wheat moonshine, you need to spend more time and effort, but in the end you get delicious homemade alcohol. Moonshine from wheat is easy to drink, it is very soft with a sweetish taste.
Raw materials for wheat mash should be used only of very good quality, it is advisable to take the highest grade grain. Spoiled grains can spoil the taste of the drink, give it bitterness and an unpleasant odor. There are quite a few recipes for making moonshine from wheat, the simplest recipes for cereal mash are described below, which are easy to repeat at home. You will learn how to germinate wheat for moonshine. how much water to use for this, what proportions and watch the video. The process of obtaining moonshine is divided into several points: the preparation of raw materials, the manufacture of home brew, distillation and purification of moonshine. Ready-made moonshine can be used both in its pure form and used in the preparation of tinctures, liqueurs and cocktails.
Moonshine recipe on wheat without yeast
To make high-quality moonshine, on sprouted wheat, it is advisable to put mash without yeast. The normal yeast needed to turn sugar into alcohol will replace the wild wheat yeast. Braga for moonshine with wild yeast is prepared for one to two weeks, depending on the activity of the yeast. Moonshine on such a starter turns out to be soft and does not have a pronounced fusel smell of ordinary yeast.
Ingredients:
- Wheat - 4 kg;
- Sugar - 4 kg;
- Water - 30 liters.
Cooking:
- Rinse the wheat, separate the floating debris and grain.
- Pour 1 kg of washed grain into a plastic barrel, level it at the bottom and fill it with water by 2-3 cm. Close the lid and leave for a day - two to soak.
- Pour 0.5 kg of granulated sugar to the sprouted wheat and mix the contents thoroughly. Cover the can with a cloth and put in heat for 7-10 days. Stir the mass once or twice a day so that it does not sour. During this time, you will get a sourdough on wild wheat yeast.
- Pour the remaining sugar and grain into the resulting sourdough. Pour warm water at a temperature of 25 ° C., install a water seal and put the container to ferment in a warm place for a week.
- At the end of fermentation, carefully drain the mash from the sediment, filter through a sieve. Braga is ready to move. The remaining germinated wheat in the barrel is still suitable for preparing the next mash. Pour 4 kg of sugar into the sourdough, add water and ferment again, so you can make three or four servings of mash on wild yeast without spoiling the quality of moonshine.
- The finished mash is poured into a cube and distilled on a moonshine still to a strength of 5-10 degrees.
- If necessary, clean raw wheat mash using charcoal.
- Dilute moonshine with water up to 20 degrees and again, fractionally drive the raw material with the selection of head fractions. Heads are selected with the calculation of 5-10% of absolute alcohol, that is, approximately 30 ml per liter of raw. Then select the "body" up to 40-50 degrees in the jet.
- Dilute the resulting double-distilled wheat sam with water to a strength of 40-45 °. Let the drink "rest" for two or three days. If desired, you can ennoble moonshine from wheat by insisting it on oak chips or aging in an oak barrel.
Step-by-step video recipe for making wheat mash
Moonshine recipe from wheat with green malt
According to this recipe, wheat mash is prepared with yeast, but without sugar. At the beginning of the process, it is necessary to weld grain raw materials. It is then saccharified with green malt, you can use commercially available brewing malt or make it at home. Also in the recipe, you can use the grain of rye, barley, corn.
Ingredients:
- Wheat - 6 kg;
- Water 25l;
- Dry yeast - 25g.
Cooking:
- We prepare green malt, for this 1 kg of wheat, rinse with clean running water, remove debris and floating grains. Fill with water for 5-6 cm and leave to soak for 6-8 hours. Rinse the soaked wheat and pour a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes. After treatment with potassium permanganate, rinse the wheat again and sprinkle it on a pallet from the grate.
- Rinse the grain abundantly with warm water 2-3 times a day, also turn it over twice a day. When the sprout grows the size of the grain itself, then we can assume that the malt is ready. On average, wheat and rye germinate in 2-4 days. It is important to soak the germinated grains again in potassium permanganate, dissolving 0.2-0.3 grams per liter of water, this will prevent infection of the future wort. Rinse the malt after 15-20 minutes. Grind in an electric meat grinder or blender. It is advisable to use it immediately.
- Crush the rest of the wheat (5 kg) in a grain crusher. Pour it into the mash tank, pour hot water over it and boil it for 10-15 minutes. At a temperature of 63-65°C, add malt, stir the mixture thoroughly. Wrap the container with a warm blanket and leave to sugar for 2-3 hours. The wort should become sweet, in order to make sure of saccharification, you can do an iodine test. If the iodine does not change color, then everything is fine.
- Quickly cool the wort to a temperature of 25 °, it is most convenient to do this using a chiller, or put the container in cold water with ice.
- Pour the chilled wort into a fermentation tank, add the yeast diluted according to the instructions. Close the container, install a water seal and put in a warm place with a temperature of 25-28 ° for fermentation for 4-6 days.
- When fermentation takes place, the mash on wheat will partially lighten, it will be bitter and the emission of gases will stop, it must be filtered through a gauze filter. If it is planned to distill the mash on a steam-water boiler or using a steam generator, then it is possible to carry out a selection together with the pellets.
- Overtake the mash twice. The first distillation without fractionation, the second time with the separation of heads and tails, as described in the first recipe. Make the strength of the drink 40-45 degrees. Keep the grain moonshine in glass for several days and you can start tasting the bread distillate.
Braga from wheat for moonshine on koji
This recipe for making wheat mash without yeast, but using the recently popular Koji. The technology and production of cooking mash on koji is very simple and economical, but takes a long time.
Koji- These are yeasts created on the basis of fungi and mold. They allow raw materials to be processed from starch to sugar. Eliminating the traditional methods of saccharification with malt and enzymes and ferment these sugars.
Ingredients:
- Wheat groats - 2.5 kg;
- Water - 10 l;
- Koji - 22 gr.
Cooking:
- Boil water, pour into wheat groats. Mix thoroughly to avoid the formation of lumps.
- Cool the porridge to room temperature.
- Pour out the required amount of koji, observing all precautions, and add to the mash.
- Install a water seal on the fermentation tank. Put on a warm battery.
- Koji mash usually ferments for 25-30 days. After the end of fermentation, strain the mash through cheesecloth.
- The haul of mash is normal. The first, without reinforcement, chases to the water. The second distillation of moonshine is fractional with the separation of head and tail fractions. In conclusion, dilute moonshine to the desired strength, keep in glass for 5-7 days.
The resulting distillate from wheat raw materials after a short exposure can be left as is, in the old days such a drink was called "Bread wine" or polugar. Now polugar is a very expensive alcohol and is an elite drink. The price of one bottle (500 ml) of polugar reaches 200 US dollars.
Wheat moonshine is an excellent base for various tinctures; caraway vodka or Borodino tincture with the smell of bread and coriander is good from it. If moonshine is aged in an oak barrel or insisted on oak chips, then you will get a great wheat whiskey, which also belongs to the elite brands of alcohol.
The eighties for many people in the USSR became very sad. All alcohol on sale was banned - not a hundred grams of usatka to drink, not fun to celebrate the holiday. But the wise villagers came up with a way out - they began to prepare moonshine. However, even here a problem arose - a shortage of sugar, without which distillation was impossible. Then they came up with the idea of making moonshine from wheat at home. The taste of this drink, subject to the technology, is very good, the output price is minimal, and all the ingredients are natural. By the way, such a moonshine can boast of a wonderful fortress. Now moonshine is practically not engaged. However, there are true connoisseurs of this drink. They lovingly continue the work of their grandfathers.
There are a lot of moonshine recipes from wheat. They are united only by the requirements for the main raw materials. Wheat should be:
- clean;
- dry;
- without the presence of pests;
- not rotten.
Cooking technology
If you decide to put moonshine on wheat, then you have to choose a manufacturing method. So, it can be made with or without yeast, adding granulated sugar or neglecting this ingredient. Wheat is taken either ordinary or germinated.
The most important steps:
- Selection and purification of raw materials.
- Making mash.
- Distillation.
- Moonshine cleaning.
To understand which method suits you, it is advisable to try to prepare a drink according to all recipes.
Moonshine on wheat - cooking without yeast
This option is very popular. It differs from others in that the output will be the most natural product.
Recipe
First you need to prepare the raw materials. Take 5 kg of wheat and sift it so that the fraction remains clean (impurities and dust are removed). Grains need to be filled with warm water so that it slightly hides the top layer.
Add 1.5 kg of granulated sugar to the wheat mass. Place the container in a warm place. Now you need to germinate wheat for moonshine. If you did everything right, then soon you will see the first young sprouts.
As soon as the grains have sprouted, add 15 liters of water and 5 kg of granulated sugar to the container. If the old container allows, then you can do it in it. Otherwise, take the container deeper, with a narrow neck. Install and leave the mass in a warm place for 10 days.
After this time, wheat mash without yeast is considered ready. It can be sent to the moonshine for distillation. After the first distillation, purify the alcohol. Most often, activated charcoal is used in this case. For 1 liter of liquid, take 50 g of powder obtained from crushed tablets. Pour it into moonshine and leave it like that for a week. Filter the drink and send it to the secondary distillation.
Making moonshine with yeast
There are 2 options for making mash for distillation.
1 way
Grind 4 kg of peeled wheat into flour. Add the following ingredients to it: 100 g of yeast, 1 kg of sugar, 3 liters of water. Mix the mass very carefully, install a water seal. Place the container for a week in a warm and dark place. After 7 days, filter the mass. Now it should be distilled and cleaned. This is followed by a second distillation.
2 way
Take 2 kg of sifted wheat. Pour in 2 liters of warm water. Leave for 3 days in a dark and warm place. During this time, the grains should germinate. Take a large saucepan and heat 15 liters of water in it to 50 degrees. Enter 5 kg of granulated sugar into the container. Cool the water to 35 degrees and add 100 g of yeast and wheat. Stir the mass and put in a warm place for 15 days. So that you can track the fermentation process, equip your container with a water seal. Wrap the container with a warm blanket. After active fermentation has passed, filter the mass. Braga is ready for further distillation.
Sprouted grain moonshine
To prepare a great drink, you need to prepare it, observing all the technology. In addition, there are some tricks that will be very useful to you in the moonshine brewing process. For example, some people make alcohol from wheat without sugar. We will not consider this method, since there is no shortage of granulated sugar in our country, and a drink without this ingredient is not so tasty. So, let's look at the technology in detail.
We will need:
- 2.5 kg of grain;
- 20 liters of soft water;
- 100 gr dry yeast;
- 6 kg of sugar;
- 0.5 l of fermented baked milk or kefir.
Proper preparation of wheat
To get good moonshine, you need to take the resting grain. It must be kept in stock for at least 2 months. Only harvested wheat will give the worst result.
It is best to make alcohol from germinated wheat. Therefore, spread your grain on a pallet and fill it with warm water. Do not use boiling water or cold water. Provide conditions for germination for grain: warm and dark room. After 2-3 days, the first shoots will appear. If this did not happen, it means that your grain has “died” and is not suitable for home brewing.
Wait until the sprouts become large - 1-2 cm in length. Remove raw materials from pallets. In this case, you should not unravel the growth. The raw material can be used immediately, or you can dry it and grind it.
We make mash
Braga from wheat is prepared very simply. Enter warm water, granulated sugar, yeast (it is possible without them), grain (flour from it) into the container. Install a water seal and send the container to a warm place for 2 weeks. Limit the access of light to the room with mash.
Cooking moonshine
After fermentation, the liquid must be carefully filtered and add fermented baked milk or kefir to it. They will save your drink from fusel oils by 70%. Now you need to distill.
cleaning
There are a lot of ways to clean moonshine. In this case, it is best to clean with activated, charcoal or coconut charcoal. And how can you do it.
Second distillation
It is carried out if you want to make moonshine of really high quality. Dilute alcohol with soft water in a 1:1 ratio. Now re-distill the drink. The first 50 g per 1 liter must be drained. Further, moonshine continues to be collected until its fortress drops below 40 degrees.
Finishing touches
When you distill all the drink, check its strength. If it's big, no problem. Add water to the moonshine and leave to infuse for three days. After that, you can set the table and try the resulting masterpiece.
