How much sugar should be added to the mash? Belarusian alcoholic yeast: instructions and reviews. Step-by-step preparation of moonshine

Have you decided to install the mash yourself? Great, then we suggest you step by step guide for beginners, which will help you understand all the basic aspects of this matter. The whole process will be divided into several stages, which you can familiarize yourself with in the content.

As a basis we will take classic mash with water, sugar and yeast, which has been distilled in moonshine stills and distillers all over the world for hundreds of years. It has an excellent alcohol release and a neutral taste, which is appreciated among experienced moonshiners. If you are new to this activity, then it is best to start with this mash.

From ordinary mash from water, sugar and yeast you can get clear and very tasty moonshine. It is important to follow the recipe and maintain temperature conditions during fermentation.

Classic proportions look like this:

The taste of the final product greatly depends on the quality of water, so take spring or purchased water.

Sugar - 5 kg.
Water - 20 liters (use the best quality you can find).
Alcoholic yeast - 100 grams (don’t know?).

Depending on the size of your fermentation tanks and the power of the moonshine still, you can change the amount of ingredients in one direction or another.

The hydromodulus together with yeast is 1:4:20. On 1 kg sugar let's take 4 liters of water And 20 grams of yeast.

For 1 kg of sugar you get approximately 1 liter of moonshine 40%.

For clarity, a table was compiled on the basis of which the volumes of an ideal fermentation tank were calculated. You need to prepare these proportions in advance before you start mixing the ingredients and preparing the mash.

Equipment for mash and distillation

Listed below are the things you will need during the moonshine brewing process. It is better to prepare them in advance so as not to look for them at the last moment.

Classic water seal for fermentation. One hundred rubles and there are no problems with these gloves.

A clean fermentation vessel (we will discuss the ideal option later).
Water seal ().
A tube or hose (for removing the mash from the sediment and pouring it).
Cotton wool or gauze (for filtration).
Distiller (directly the moonshine still itself).
Alcohol meter (for measuring the strength of moonshine).
Container for collecting moonshine.

This kit is required for distillation. All consumables cost pennies and are sold in all specialized stores. Don't skimp on things like this for the first time.

In what container does mash ripen best?

There aren't many options, so we'll list them all from best to worst:

Large range of plastic fermentation barrels with a water seal

Buck out of stainless steel. An ideal and very expensive container. If you are ready to afford such a thing, there will never be any questions about the mash.
Containers from food grade plastic. The most popular and very cheap containers, used by 95% of all moonshiners. Washing them after all the work is not as pleasant as stainless steel, but the low price completely covers all the shortcomings.
Vessels from glass. An excellent option that has been used in villages and villages for a long time. An important disadvantage is fragility, due to which the entire technology can break in a second.
Oak barrels. A luxury item that absolutely does not justify its price. If you plan to infuse alcohol in it, then this is one question, but you shouldn’t consider oak as a fermentation container.
Cans from aluminum. Harmful material that undergoes a chemical reaction during fermentation. It is strictly not recommended to use any aluminum items for these procedures.

You can find out even more information in the publication about. The most valuable thing you can find there are photographs and conclusions that we came to after studying this issue.

Important: The container should be no more than 75% filled. The remaining space is needed for foam.

Tank with water seal and tap

Step-by-step instructions for making mash

If you have already prepared the necessary raw materials and equipment, then you can begin fermentation. Braga ripens in a dark place for 4–6 days. The optimal temperature is considered to be from 25 to 30 degrees ().

To prevent the foam from going beyond the banks of your container, leave 25% of the space free

Pour water into the fermentation container and add sugar. Stir the liquid vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water. Some moonshiners prefer to do (turn into syrup), but we will take the simple route.
At this time, we activate the alcoholic yeast (following the instructions, dilute it in a glass of warm water for 10 minutes), after which we add it to the wort and mix everything vigorously again.
We put a water seal on the container, put it in a dark place for 4–6 days and maintain the temperature within 20–30 degrees.
determined by the absence of gurgling, lightening of the upper layer and sedimentation. It tastes bitter (unripened mash has a sweet taste).
When our wort “fits,” it must be drained from the sediment (we lower a tube or hose into a container and, using communicating vessels, pour it into another container) through a cotton or gauze filter (just put a lot of cotton wool in the funnel and everything will be fine). This procedure will rid the mash of yeast, which usually burns in a moonshine still.
We pour the finished mash into the distillation cube and begin the distillation process.

Some moonshiners recommend carrying out the so-called. This procedure clears the liquid of yeast particles, resulting in better distillation. In our case, we used filtration, as a result of which clarification has already occurred.

Distillation of mash into moonshine

We assume that you have fulfilled all the conditions described above and have prepared a certain volume of finished mash for distillation. I suggest not to linger and immediately distill it into moonshine.

Ideal transparency can be achieved by combining two methods: double distillation and fractionation

The first distillation is carried out quite quickly, until the strength of the dripping distillate drops below 30 degrees (this is where an alcohol meter comes in handy).
We dilute our first distillation product to a strength of 20 degrees.
We clean moonshine from fusel oil and other harmful impurities. The most effective method is recognized, but you can choose any of the possible methods. For clarity, we have compiled.
The purified moonshine is re-sent for distillation. This time we will divide the distillate into fractions: “head (the first 50 ml of distillation per 1 kg of sugar, considered very harmful)”, “body (after separating the head and before the strength drops below 40%)” and “tail (everything else)” .
In our case, we separate the first 250 ml of moonshine if we initially took 5 kg of sugar. It can be used for technical purposes (for degreasing surfaces, for example).
After this, we collect good moonshine in another container, which will be served on the table. As soon as the strength drops to 40%, we stop collecting our “body”.
The remaining “tails” can be collected if you plan to add them to enhance the strength of the next batch of moonshine. This is not necessary, although you can increase the “exhaust” a little.
Experience suggests that it is best to steep moonshine for 2–3 days to stabilize the taste. But practice shows that by the evening a significant part of the entire distillate is already drunk by the owner and guests :)

If double distillation is not so critical for the quality of the distillate, then the separation of the “head”, “tail” and “body” fractions is extremely necessary. It will rid the moonshine of that pungent smell that many people don’t like in this drink, and will also partially cleanse it of harmful impurities.

What else should a novice moonshiner know?

Making moonshine is not a long process. All steps have been studied for a long time, are well known and do not require any experienced actions, everything is done according to the instructions and done well.

But from time to time some subtleties arise, because of which something or somewhere goes wrong. I suggest you read interesting materials on the topic described above, which will help you make the right decision in complex issues of moonshine brewing.

. Many people are concerned about the question: “What to do if it is not possible to immediately carry out distillation? How long can the mash last without spoiling? This is the issue that is addressed in this publication.
. Sometimes the fermentation process is not efficient enough, as a result of which natural and chemical mash supplements are used. We definitely do not recommend their use, as we believe that it is better to create high-quality conditions for fermentation rather than try to reinvent the wheel.
. Another “slippery” topic about which there is debate. We give preference to alcoholic yeast, which produces more “exhaust” and ferments well without any additives.

Those who want to realize themselves as moonshine masters begin their journey with. Because obtaining this product does not require much labor.

But there are subtleties here too. It is important that the sugar and yeast mash have the correct proportions.

And this depends, first of all, on what kind of yeast you use in your work.

But there are other subtleties, knowledge and implementation of which will help you create a high-quality product on the first try.

Don’t expect to get good moonshine from poor quality products, according to the principle “That’ll do!” It will be distilled!” Yes, it will distill, but what will the result be - crystal clear moonshine without a “vigorous” smell or a stinking, albeit strong, liquid filled with fusel?

Therefore, you should not hope for chance, but you should do everything according to the rules, paying attention to every little detail. Put the word “quality” first, and this applies to everything from purchased sugar to the choice of water and the conditions for maturing the mash.

Selection of containers and ingredients

Many copies have already been broken relatively. Here's what they often put in the brew:

Plastic container. There is an opinion that plastic is not a suitable material. Again, this is a controversial issue. It depends on what kind of plastic it is. If it is certified, from a reliable manufacturer, intended for food products and the annotation to it indicates that it is suitable, for example, for pickling vegetables, or even for making wine, mash, etc. (these containers are equipped with water seals), you can use them at your own risk. Chemists are unanimous: the plastic itself is safe, but the additional substances used in its manufacture pose a potential threat. Even food-grade plastic releases formaldehyde, styrene, and vinyl chloride, which are carcinogens. And under no circumstances should non-food (technical) plastic be used for moonshine production. In addition to direct harm to health, you will receive a distillate that smells strongly of plastic.
Glass. The material is inert, does not react with the components of the mash, and does not emit harmful substances. The bottles are convenient to use; it is easy to install a water seal on them or put on a medical glove with a finger pierced with a needle to release carbon dioxide. It can be seen that when fermentation is completed and the wort self-clarifies - the remains of yeast and other components settle to the bottom. Has two disadvantages: fragility and dependence on ambient temperature. Compared to plastic, glass does not retain heat well. Therefore, it is advisable to insulate it and handle it with care.
Milk aluminum flask. These have been used for brewing since Soviet times. Convenient in terms of stability and strength. Cover the lid without clamping - carbon dioxide escapes, and while fermentation is in progress, foreign microorganisms will not get inside.

Attention. Carbon dioxide does not allow oxygen into the liquid, which is necessary for the development of pathogenic microflora.

However, aluminum is a treacherous material. It easily reacts with aggressive substances, which include and. When oxidized, it releases harmful compounds. Therefore, it is better to refuse an aluminum flask.

Reference. Stainless steel milk flasks are sold, and they are safe for storing wort.

Stainless steel fermentation tank- out of competition. If you decide to purchase an industrially produced container, you will get an excellent assistant to the distiller. Made of food grade stainless steel, equipped with a faucet for draining the mash. Located just above the bottom, it allows you to drain the mash, leaving sediment at the bottom. In addition, the kit includes a water seal.

If you have not yet acquired such a container, adapt it to it. stainless steel still. The tight closure and the ability to install a water seal (glove) make it suitable for fermentation. Just don’t forget to strain the mash before putting it on distillation and washing the still.

Inverting granulated sugar

There will be supporters of making mash with granulated sugar dissolved in it. However, it is wrong to consider this approach correct. In order for yeast to quickly convert sugar into alcohol, it must first break it down into glucose and fructose, since the sucrose molecule (crystalline sugar) consists of remnants of simple sugar molecules.

Carry out this splitting yourself. This process is called hydrolysis. Decomposition occurs under the influence of acid and high temperature.

Attention. Thanks to inversion, the mash ripens a couple of days earlier. Less fusel oils are fermented in it, and moonshine is obtained without fusel aroma and taste.

Take:

3 liters of water;
3 kg sugar;
27-36 g of citric acid (based on 9-12 g per kilogram of sugar).

Select a pan so that the syrup in it takes up no more than 2/3 of the volume. Heat water and add sugar. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add citric acid.

Important. Add citric acid a little at a time. If you add it all at once, a lot of foam will form and the liquid will run out of the pan.

Now cover the pan with a lid and let the syrup invert for an hour or two. There should be no boiling. Sufficient temperature is 80-90°C.

Water preparation

For brewing, use raw water of medium hardness. Suitable:

purified bottled;
passed through a household filter;
spring;
settled water supply to ventilate chlorine.

Note. You should not boil water because this deprives it of oxygen, which is necessary to support fermentation and the microorganisms that feed the yeast. This water is “dead”, just like distilled water.

Yeast selection

Two types of alcoholic yeast are considered most suitable for fermenting with sugar: pressed and dry. It’s impossible to say for sure which ones are better; everyone likes their own look.

Attention. Add raw yeast, of which you are sure of its quality, directly into the wort, kneading thoroughly and mixing with the liquid.

Be sure to melt (activate) the dry ones first: add a pinch of sugar and a cup of warm water (28-30°C), wait until they form a foamy cap.

Baker's yeast is also acceptable. But you can take them if there are no alcohol ones. They leave a yeasty taste in the finished product. Please note that for baker's yeast, the hydromodulus is 1 to 5 (1 kg of sugar and 5 liters of water), since they die at a mash strength of 12°.

Stages of wort production and preparation proportions

To get the maximum possible amount of moonshine (for sugar mash this is 1.2 liters per kilogram of sugar), you must adhere to the rules for setting up the wort. Creating conditions for fermentation is equally important. Yeast likes silence, warmth and darkness. Technology:

Heat the prepared water to 28-30°C.
Add inverted sugar syrup or sugar that has cooled to the same temperature. Stir until dissolved.
Add activated yeast.
Place the fermentation container on a warm substrate so that the cold does not draw in from the floor.
If the room is cool, place it closer to the heat source (radiator, stove). Wrap it up so that the heat generated during fermentation is not lost.
Maintain the room temperature at 22-28°C.

Important. For fermentation, it is extremely important that there are no sudden changes in temperature. Theoretically, yeast works at 18-30°C, but if it is 18°C at night and below 30°C during the day, then the mash may turn sour.

And about proportions. Calculate the ratio between sugar and water in the wort. Here are the acceptable indicators:

1 to 5. More often used when using baker's yeast. The advantage is fast fermentation, the disadvantage is the need for a large fermentation tank.
1 to 4. Popular among moonshine connoisseurs. Suitable for alcoholic yeast. Braga takes up less space. If fermentation is delayed compared to the 1:5 hydromodule, it is for a couple of days, no more.
1 to 3. Not used too often if space is being saved or there is no suitable fermentation container. But since the wort has a high sugar density, alcohol Turbo yeast is needed to process it into alcohol.

Why do hydromodules require different yeasts? The reason is that they have different persistence in an alcoholic environment. Bakeries stop functioning when the wort reaches 12°C; for alcohol, the limit is 16-18° (see instructions on the package); alcohol Turbos are capable of increasing the strength of the mash to 20°.

Note. For every kilogram of sugar you need 100 g of raw or 20-25 g of dry yeast.

Features of sugar mash

It’s not enough to forget about it before the date indicated in the recipe. It takes knowledge and some effort.

Fermentation phase

Violent fermentation at the first stage is considered the norm. For this reason, never fill the fermentation container with the lid on. The maximum permissible is ¾, although 2/3 is better. If you use a water seal, it gurgles intensely. The glove inflates. If it inflates too much, pierce 1-2 more holes with a needle.

As the mash matures, the foam subsides and the gurgling becomes less frequent. Under normal conditions, fermentation lasts 3-7 days.

Rules for determining readiness

It is important to correctly determine the moment when the mash is ready.

An unfermented mash will give a lower distillate yield, since not all sugars are converted into alcohol. If it sits too long, it may turn sour, especially if it is supplied without a water seal. Determine readiness by the following signs:

The gurgling of the water seal stopped completely, and the glove hung on the container.
The foam has subsided.
The mash tastes bitter, without the slightest sweetness.
A lit match brought to the surface of the wort continues to burn.
Clearing of the liquid is noticeable - the yeast settles, the wort becomes transparent.

Don't just use one method. Better use everything to be sure.

Lightening

Yeast residues (including micro-suspensions) lead to burning and the appearance of an unpleasant odor and taste in the moonshine. Therefore, before distillation, lighten the mash. It is better to use it for this purpose (this material is cat litter without additives). Grind in a coffee grinder, soak until kefir is thick and then add to the mash.

Lightening occurs within a few hours. Then remove the mash from the sediment through a tube and distill. The norm is 1 heaped tablespoon per 10 liters of mash.

Proper distillation

If you want to have a quality product on the table, and not stinking moonshine, you will have to do it. Distill for the first time without dividing into fractions. Secondarily - taking the first drops - dangerous to the health of the head - into a separate bowl (30-60 ml from each kg of sugar in the mash).

Then drive the body of moonshine until the strength in the stream drops to 40°. All that is distilled further are tails filled with fusel oils.

Pros and cons of mash with sugar and yeast

The main advantages of sugar mash are that it is affordable: buying raw materials is not a problem, and you don’t have to bother with it. With proper distillation, you will get relatively pure moonshine without a pungent odor.

A little about the pitfalls.

Sugar mash often lacks nutrients, causing the yeast to become inactive. In this case, add rather than increase the amount of yeast.

An excess of yeast leads to the fact that it can be felt in the finished product, spoiling the taste. Use as a top dressing:

A piece of bread. Crumble and throw into the mash.
Balanced fertilizer purchased from a specialty store.
Nitrogen-containing fertilizer (superphosphate, urea, etc.) in small quantities.
A glass or two of freshly squeezed juice.

Sugar mash is easy to prepare, even a beginner can handle it, following the advice of experienced masters. Therefore, start your distillery practice with it. In addition, sugar moonshine gives room for creativity. Prepare tinctures and liqueurs using this odorless product.

Alexander Gushchin

I can’t vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)

Content

Alcoholic products prepared at home in accordance with instructions and recommendations are safer than some factory-made drinks. Mash made with sugar and yeast - this recipe is often called a classic. This type of moonshine is easier to prepare than many other options, and all the ingredients can be bought at any store.

Dry yeast for mash

Moonshine without yeast will not work, because... they contain all the microorganisms that cause the fermentation process. The latter is necessary for the conversion of glucose into alcohol. It should be borne in mind that yeast fungi require careful treatment, especially in terms of maintaining temperature conditions. Low temperatures do not have much effect on mushrooms, but high temperatures (35 degrees and above) can completely destroy them.

It is generally accepted that it is better to use special alcoholic yeast for moonshine brewing. The use of products of this type does not cause any difficulties, because The manufacturer indicates the optimal amount of sugar on each pack. The downside is that this type of yeast is difficult to find and has a limited shelf life. An alternative for moonshine brewing is dry yeast, but it needs to be activated.

Which ones to choose

The French “Saf-Levure”, which is sold in 100-gram packages, is excellent for preparing mash with dry yeast. They are widely used for baking, so they are sold in almost every grocery store. Saf-Moment products, which contain only 11 grams per bag, are also a good defoamer. Some moonshine gurus recommend choosing Pakmaya Crystal yeast for mash. There is also an option in the form of products from the Bekmaya and Saf Instant trademarks.

Features of the technological process

A distinctive feature of moonshine using dry yeast culture is abundant foaming, so in this case it is necessary to use defoamers. As the latter, some distillers use pharmaceutical or chemical preparations, household chemicals - but you should not resort to their use. In addition, there is no need to try to eliminate the foam with regular stirring. Use crackers or cookies.

Take care in advance of the cleanliness of your moonshine brewing equipment, especially the fermentation container - rinse it thoroughly and dry it. It is very important to do this, because any slightest impurity can spoil the final product. As a fermentation container, you can use whatever you like, for example, a three-liter jar, a tank. The main thing is not to put the mash in a galvanized container, because... prolonged contact of the contents with the material will result in the oxidation of zinc, the oxides of which are harmful.

It is also not recommended to use plastic containers without a mark confirming that they are intended for food products. It is easier to use plastic milk cans of 25-38 liters. Utensils made of stainless steel, aluminum, porcelain, glass, and enameled metal are also suitable. As for the process of preparing mash, technologically it can be divided into two main stages:

yeast activation;
preparing and inverting sugar syrup.

Activation of dry yeast

First, prepare the water, which should be clear, odorless, and tasteless. You can even use non-chlorinated tap water that meets food grade standards. If this is not the case, then be sure to let it sit for about 48 hours - the chlorine will evaporate during this time. A good choice would be spring water followed by filtration and settling. Alternatively, you can choose bottled liquid. You cannot distill or boil water for mash. Instructions for activating dry products:

Pour the contents of the package into a small container and fill with boiled water, the temperature of which is 34-38 °C. Select the container so that you can freely stir the resulting mass.
Stir everything and leave the composition for about 10-20 minutes. During this time, the yeast should swell - a cap will form on the surface. During the first minutes, it is very important to maintain the initial temperature. To do this, place the container in a warm place or wrap it in a blanket.
As soon as the contents of the container have swelled, mix everything thoroughly again.

Preparing and inverting sugar syrup

To prepare regular sugar syrup, you will need to take water and raw sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Mix both components and bring to a temperature of 90°C on the stove. It is necessary to cook the syrup at this indicator for about half an hour, remembering to constantly stir the mass and skim off the foam. Ready-made sugar-based syrup can be added to the mash, but the fermentation process will be lengthy.

As for inverting the syrup, the easiest way is to add citric acid to it 0.08% of the amount of sugar in the mixture. Other proportions are also used, for example, for 1 kg of raw sugar, take 520 ml of water. This process will help break down sugar into fructose and glucose, because. mushrooms break down sucrose into monosaccharides and only then process them into ethyl alcohol. So, by supplementing the composition with acid or the enzyme invertase, you will significantly speed up fermentation. Inversion process:

Add 6 kg of sugar to 3.12 liters of water and bring to a boil.
Add 4.8 g of citric acid to the mixture.
Boil the syrup for 1.5-2 hours at a temperature of 95-100 °C under the lid.

Sugar and yeast mash recipe

Having prepared the water and containers, first activate the yeast as described above. Then you will need to prepare the sugar syrup and invert it. Braga with dry yeast - instructions:

Preparing the base for mash. Fill the inverted syrup with water. The initial mixture should have a temperature of 27-30 °C. Fill the fermentation container no more than 3/4 full. Before adding prepared dry mushrooms, provide them with fertilizing. Sometimes special enzymes are used for saccharification, for example, glucavamorin. After fermentation of the wort is completed, it is necessary to prevent the possible growth of bacteria in the warm wort, which will lead to the death of yeast cultures.
Fermentation. Once the wort is ready, keep the mixture at a constant temperature between 28-31°C. For this purpose, wrap the fermentation container with a blanket, fur coat, coat, etc., or wrap it with special heat-insulating materials. If you did everything correctly, the mixture will ferment for 48-80 hours, depending on the temperature and type of fertilizing. Every half day the wort needs to be stirred intensively for 1 minute. to remove excess carbon dioxide.
Lightening. This process is not mandatory, but highly desirable, because with its help you can remove dormant and dead yeast cultures from the mash mixture. If you leave them, the moonshine product will smell worse and will contain much more harmful components than its clarified counterpart. Alternatively, you can put the mash in a cold place under a water seal and wait until the yeast precipitates in 1-2 days. After this, it remains to carefully drain the liquid using a straw.
Distillation (fractional distillation). If the previous stages are completed completely, then you can immediately begin selecting the “heads” and “tails”. Place the mash mixture on low heat and wait until the first drops appear - these are the “heads” (“pervak”), of which you need to collect about 50 ml for each kg of processed sugar. Immediately pour the collected liquid somewhere, because... it is dangerous to health. Then assemble the “body”, i.e. the middle fraction, which is the main one. The liquid must be withdrawn until the strength of the product drops below 40%. Then start collecting the “tails”. This fraction contains a lot of fusel oils, so it is not suitable for consumption.

Ingredient proportions

It is important to maintain the proportions of sugar and yeast for the mash, otherwise the original product may not satisfy your taste needs. From 1 kg of sugar you can get about 1.1 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40% with some error in both directions. The optimal ratio is as follows: for every 1 kg of raw sugar you will need 4 liters of water (plus another 0.52 liters if the syrup is inverted), 20 g of dry yeast like Saf-Levur.

Yeast feed

To provide dry yeast with optimal working conditions, they will need feeding. Among the options are malt, juices, steamed grains, bread and dried fruits (removed from tar, preservatives, and dirt). For 50 liters of wort you will need only 0.5-1 liter of juice with/without pulp or either 1/2 loaf of rye bread. You can use vitamin B1 - for every kg of sugar you will need 1-2 mg. Nitrogenous agricultural fertilizers are used as mineral fertilizers:

Diammonium phosphate, diluted with warm water at the rate of 3.3 g per 1 kg of sugar.
Ammonium sulfate at the rate of 1.2-2 g per 1 kg.
Ca superphosphate at the rate of 3-4 g per 1 kg.
Urea (urea) at the rate of 0.8 g per 1 kg.

Wort fermentation

The container with the mash should not be tightly closed. It’s better to take gauze and wrap the neck with it, then put the mash in a dark place. The temperature should be stable without sudden changes. If you are going to produce a lot of moonshine, then it is better to purchase an aquarium heater - you can set the thermostat to 30 ° C. The yeast culture also produces heat, so the temperature of the mash mixture must be constantly monitored - if it exceeds 35 ° C, it will need to be cooled.

It is not necessary to place a water seal on the sugar-based mash (the process occurs very rapidly and bacteria or oxygen will not get into the mash), just leave the lids on the fermentation container slightly open. A water seal can only save you when fermentation is carried out in an apartment, because... Dry yeast mash doesn't smell very good. The speed of fermentation depends not only on temperature, but also on the correct proportions and the quality of the yeast.

Do not forget to stir the composition every half day. If the container is small, then it is better to simply shake it - this way you will get rid of carbon dioxide, which interferes with the action of yeast cultures. The procedure is a recommendation, so you can do without it. Fermentation can take up to 10 days. Keep an eye on it to promptly determine readiness based on several signs at once.

How to tell if sugar mash with dry yeast is ready

When preparing mash using dry yeast, it is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the moonshine base. Otherwise, the mixture may ferment. You can check the readiness of the mash using a lit match. During active fermentation, the composition begins to release large amounts of carbon dioxide, which displaces oxygen. If you bring a lit match to the surface and it burns, this indicates that the fermentation process has stopped. Attenuation indicates the continuation of the procedure. You can tell if mash with dry yeast is ready by other signs:

time;
taste;
mind;
using a hydrometer.

By time

Depending on the quality of the raw materials and external conditions, a typical sugar-based mash ferments within 5-14 days. On average, this process takes 7-10 days, but for starchy mash (from grain) it takes only 3-7 days. Braga without yeast based on berries, grapes need 20-60 days to ripen. Due to the large variation in time, this method is considered the most inaccurate.

Taste

This method of determining the end of fermentation is considered the most effective, especially since it can be used to evaluate the quality of the product. The mash, ready for further distillation, has a bitter taste. If you taste sweetness, it means the yeast has not yet finished converting all the sugar into raw alcohol. If the temperature regime is not observed (the minimum temperature should be about 18 °C and the maximum should be 28 °C), then the yeast culture will die prematurely. You can resume fermentation if you add a new portion of yeast and remove the container to a suitable place.

By appearance

In finished mash with dry yeast, foaming does not occur. In addition, the characteristic hissing and release of carbon dioxide ceases. Pay attention to the top layer of mash. If you notice that it has gradually begun to lighten, this indicates that the remains of yeast fungi and waste products have settled at the bottom, which also indicates the end of fermentation.

Using a hydrometer

A professional and accurate way to check the end of fermentation is to use a special device called a hydrometer. If you have taken up moonshine brewing thoroughly and often prepare homemade alcohol, then it is better to purchase it. To determine the remaining sugar (i.e., poor quality), filter 200 ml of mash through a thick cloth, pour into a measuring glass and lower the hydrometer into it. If the value is below the 1.002 level, then you can start distilling.

Degassing and clarification of mash

Braga made with dry yeast needs delegitization and clarification to improve the taste of moonshine. To do this, remove the insulation and let the mash sit for a day in the cold. The yeast should precipitate, then drain the clarified mixture from the sediment (decant) through a rubber tube. You can remove all carbon dioxide from it like this: heat the decanted wort to 50 degrees - this will kill the remnants of mushrooms that have not fallen into suspended animation at a wort strength of 12%.

To clarify, you can wait until all the yeast has precipitated, but this will take a long time. Another way (faster) is to use gelatin, bentonite and other coagulants. It is better to choose bentonite (natural white clay), which should be clean and free of foreign odors. The essence of the method:

Grind the bentonite (2-3 tablespoons per 20 liters of mash).
Dissolve in 250 ml warm water.

Discuss

Braga with dry yeast and sugar

Yeast is an important ingredient for making moonshine. They convert sugars into ethyl alcohol. To successfully supply the mash and obtain a high-quality and tasty product, it is important to use fresh “working” bacteria and correctly calculate their quantity. This article will help you figure out how much yeast is needed for mash in dry or pressed form.

Why is it so important to measure yeast correctly?

You can use any type of yeast: wine, dry, pressed baker's yeast. It is important that they are fresh and added in the right proportion. You also need to create the best conditions for the growth of yeast: put the moonshine in a clean container and a warm room, feed the microorganisms with nitrogen and suppress hostile microflora with the help of an antibiotic.

If there is not enough yeast

A sign that there is not enough yeast is considered to be weak fermentation on the first day after you set the mash. A head of foam should form intensively. It can take up a third of the dishes or more. Therefore, it is so important to take a container for preparing mash with a large supply of volume. If the formation of a cap is not observed, then the shutter needs to be heated and/or fresh yeast must be added.

If there is too much yeast

What happens if you put it in excess? Adding too much yeast for mash is also wrong. Bacteria eat sugars from the wort until the alcohol concentration in the mash is 12–15%. In such an environment they die. At this point, the mash is ready, and you need to start distilling it. If the microorganisms do not have enough food, then a lot of yeast will remain in the mash, which will have a bad effect on the smell, taste and quality of the moonshine.

Basic recipe for mash with pressed yeast

People often argue about how much yeast should be added to 20 liters of mash.

The answer is simple: For 20 liters of mash you need 4 kg. sugar in a ratio of 1 to 4 i.e. 1 kilogram of sugar and 4 liters of water, per 1 kg. sugar you need 70-100 grams of pressed yeast, it turns out that for 20 liters of mash according to the standard proportion you need 4 kg. sugar multiplied by 100 grams of yeast equals 400 grams.

Consider a recipe for 5 liters of mash:

1 kg sugar
4 liters of water
100 grams of alcoholic or baker's pressed yeast

Take unboiled, clean, drinking water
Dissolve sugar in it and mix vigorously
Grind the yeast by hand and dissolve in a small amount of warm water
Add to the wort, while the temperature of the medium for dissolution and subsequent fermentation should be 25-30°C
Leave to ferment in a dark, warm place for 7-10 days.

Using dry yeast

The standard proportion for sugar mash is 15-20 grams of dry yeast per 1 kg. Sugar is the optimal amount. The best brands are considered to be SafMoment, SafLevyur, Pakmaya, they work well and are inexpensive. For specialized yeasts, the proportions are indicated by the manufacturer, for example for some wine yeasts 4 grams per 10 liters of wort or 2 grams per 1 kg. Sahara.

Before adding dry yeast, it is necessary to perform the so-called “fermentation” or activation. In half a liter of warm water up to 30°C, add all the measured dry yeast and let it sit for ten minutes. Then you need to stir the yeast until dissolved and add it to the yeast.

Braga made with dry yeast (usually baker's yeast) often behaves capriciously in the first day of fermentation: it either does not rise or forms a “cap” too intensively. In this case, you may need to add 50 grams to the shutter. vegetable oil. Or you can use a defoamer, which is sold in specialized stores (Sofaxil, Bobotik). You can also crumble one plain cookie without additives onto the surface.

The mash ripening time is approximately 7 days. It should taste bitter and light in color. Foam ceases to form on the surface. If you can still feel the sweetness in the mash, then you should leave it to stand for another day or two.

Conclusion

Summarize:

Pressed yeast per 1 kg. sugar 70-100 grams
Dry yeast per 1 kg. sugar 15-20 grams