Surely moonshine lovers have encountered a problem when moonshine tastes bitter. Of course, you can drink it, but it is the bitter taste that spoils the overall picture and prevents you from enjoying the drink to the fullest. This can be a big problem. Especially in the case when moonshine was distilled specifically for the festive table, for some reason. You can’t put such a drink on the table for guests.
Carbon filter - salvation from bitterness
Faced with this problem, those involved in moonshine brewing begin to look for an answer to the question: how to remove bitterness from moonshine. To answer, you must first understand exactly why moonshine may taste bitter. Usually, the primary reason is the same.
The best distillation still does not remove various substances from the finished alcohol mixture. These include the remains of fusel oils. They are the main cause of bitterness and unpleasant odor. The first and easiest option to remove fusel from moonshine is to use activated charcoal. So, the reasons why moonshine tastes bitter have been established. Next, you just have to follow the instructions carefully.
Using a carbon filter
Activated carbon is an ideal absorbent due to its good porosity. The high specific surface area per unit mass also plays a role. If you decide to use carbon, it is important to choose it correctly, because the pores absorb molecules.
There are two ways to remove bitterness from moonshine:
- Using a carbon filter.
- The method of immersing coal in bitter moonshine.
Making homemade moonshine is a responsible process that requires the home craftsman to have certain knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as special equipment with which you can make a high-quality strong drink. Despite the fact that homemade moonshine is of high quality, pleasant taste and even a pronounced aroma, in some cases moonshiners encounter difficulties in preparation.
One of the problems that occurs in the process of making homemade moonshine is the strong bitterness of the finished drink, which can appear even after the second distillation of alcohol. There may be several reasons for the bitterness of moonshine, so the user must be well acquainted with them in order to know what actions to take.
Reasons why moonshine tastes bitter
The most common problems causing bitterness in ready-made homemade moonshine are:
- Burning of small particles of mash. This happens in cases where the mash is poorly filtered and small particles of raw materials get into the distillation cube, which burn at high temperatures, and their smell gets into the moonshine with alcohol vapor.
- Improper mash preparation. If berries, fruits or fruits are crushed too finely, then the seeds found in many of them will add strong bitterness to the mash, which will not go away even after double distillation. Another common problem with the bitterness of mash is the ingress of spoiled or rotten berries into it, as well as delays in fermentation or draining from the sediment.
- Bad yeast or wort contamination. Low-quality yeast can also add strong bitterness to the mash. And if the wort was prepared under unsterile conditions or air access is open to it, then it may become infected with pathogenic microorganisms, which will lead to souring and spoilage of the product.
- Alcohol mashine. If the distillation still is not cleaned regularly, then the remnants of the previous raw material remain in it after distillation, and during the new distillation they begin to burn. If the sealants used for some parts of the machine are chosen incorrectly, then when exposed to strong heat, they can be destroyed and will also spoil the taste of the mash.
- Prolonged contact with wood. We are talking about keeping the drink in oak barrels for too long or infusing it with oak bark or chips, as a result of which the moonshine is oversaturated with the aroma of wood and acquires strong bitterness.
Although the list of reasons for the appearance of bitterness in moonshine is not exhaustive, such options are most common and are familiar to many home craftsmen.
How to get rid of bitterness in moonshine?
If homemade moonshine, for some reason, nevertheless becomes bitter, the user should use the basic methods to correct the situation:
- After the mash has fermented, it is filtered and tasted. If there is a pronounced bitterness in the drink, then before the distillation process it is purified with egg white or bentonite.
In order to clean the mash with egg whites, beat the eggs thoroughly, separating the whites from the yolks. Then the whipped mixture is added to the mash in a ratio of 50 ml per 1 liter. The mash is thoroughly mixed and covered with a tight lid, after which it is left for 7 days in a cool place. After 7 days, the mash is drained from the sediment and distilled.
Cleaning mash with bentonite includes the following steps: white clay is mixed with mash in a proportion of 3 g per 1 liter, after diluting it in water and leaving for 10 hours, bringing it to a consistency similar to sour cream. The mixture is poured in a thin stream into the mash, mixed thoroughly and left in a hermetically sealed container at room temperature for 24 hours. A day later, the mash is drained from the sediment and distilled.
- If moonshine becomes bitter after distillation, then it is diluted with water until the strength reaches 15%, and then purification is performed with charcoal or coconut charcoal, after which fractional distillation is performed and 12 to 15% of the “heads” of pure alcohol are selected.
- After distillation, the bitter moonshine is left for 10-15 days in a cool place, after which the bitterness should disappear.
- You can hide the bitterness by infusing moonshine with horseradish, garlic, pepper, galangal, cranberry or ginger.
How to avoid the appearance of bitterness in moonshine in the future
To prevent the situation with the bitterness of the finished moonshine from repeating, it is necessary:
- Carefully filter and clarify the mash before distillation, removing small particles;
- Do not crush the seeds of fruits and berries while preparing mash;
- Choose the right yeast;
- Carefully monitor the sterility of instruments and utensils;
- Always use a water seal that limits oxygen access;
- Thoroughly rinse the distillation cube and all its elements.
The bitterness of moonshine or mash is not the worst problem, so you just need to learn to take each stage of the process responsibly.
Sour mash is a problem that beginners in moonshine often face. The moonshine that is distilled from it also acquires a sour taste. If you notice it in time, you can try to save the product. The mash should have a slight sourness. There is no way without this, because yeast in the process of its activity produces a certain amount of organic acids. But if the technology is broken, then vinegar souring may occur. It is fairly easy to spot and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. Signs include the cessation of fermentation, a strong vinegar smell and a burning sour taste. The main reason is the access of air to the mash, which appears if the water seal is not installed or installed incorrectly. If there is access to air, acetic bacteria are activated and begin to process alcohol, releasing acid and water. During the active fermentation phase, carbon dioxide pushes oxygen out of the container. But when fermentation comes to an end, carbon dioxide becomes scarce and oxygen calmly comes into contact with the mash. This explains the souring of the mash, which occurs either at the end or after fermentation. Complete souring may take from several days to several weeks, it all depends on the temperature and raw materials. Acetic bacteria are active in the temperature range from 6°C to 45°C. But even if less than a day has passed and the souring is slight, this may be enough for the distillate to develop a sour taste.
Prevention of this problem is quite simple. After placing all the ingredients in the fermentation container, you need to install a water seal on it.
Its design can be any, the main thing is that it prevents air from entering the fermentation tank. The second point is that the container is hermetically sealed and the gas exits only through the water seal. Thanks to the water seal, the mash will not turn sour even several weeks after the end of fermentation.
There are two more reasons that give moonshine a sour taste. They are quite rare, but I will mention them anyway. Firstly, if you take the distillate almost to the water, then a lot of organic acids will get into it. As already mentioned, they are secreted by yeast during fermentation and have a high boiling point. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to stop the distillation in time, and not to be greedy, because the so-called “tails” are not suitable for use. Secondly, the material from which the moonshine still is made can come into contact with alcohol and release acids as a result of reactions. To avoid this, you must use devices made of materials inert to alcohol. These are copper, stainless steel, glass, etc.
If, nevertheless, the mash has turned sour, then it is necessary to evaluate the degree of sourness. If the bacteria have already managed to process all the alcohol, then the mash must be poured out, because there is no point in distilling it. In this case, the smell will be sharp, the taste will be scaldingly sour, and the strength will not be felt. If everything is not so bad, then we suggest the following sequence of actions. Carry out the first distillation. Select the product to a strength of 45%. Now you need to determine the amount of alcohol. To do this, we need the total strength of the resulting moonshine and its volume. For example, one liter of 60% moonshine contains 0.6 liters of alcohol. Next, we need baking soda in the amount of 25g per 1 liter of pure alcohol. The distillate must be diluted to 20%, add soda to it, mix and seal tightly. The resulting mixture should stand for at least 4 hours. After this, it must be re-distilled using fractional distillation.
Beginning moonshiners are often faced with the problem of mash turning sour. There are whole legends among colleagues in the “shop” about how to prevent this and even how to “revive” the product. I would like to dispel myths and give some useful tips:
How can you tell if your mash is sour?
1. Sour taste and smell. But you need to take into account that there is always a slight sour taste. Its severity depends on the raw materials used to prepare alcoholic beverages. Corn wash usually has more acid. There is less in the sugar department.
2. Stop fermentation. The main criterion is the absence of carbon dioxide emissions.
Why is vinegar produced instead of alcohol?
1. Contact of raw materials with oxygen or lack of a water seal. If, while stirring the mash, you suddenly forgot to put in a water seal, then at best the fermentation will slow down, and most likely the mash will turn sour. You can use a simple medical glove pierced with a needle. It is not recommended to seal the composition with a lid. Since pressurization is fraught with a small explosion. Once upon a time, at the beginning of my practice, a tightly closed mineral water bottle became greatly inflated due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide. When I tried to open the lid, I heard a loud pop of gas, felt a strong push (more likely even a blow) of the lid on my hand, and almost all the liquid poured out of the 5-liter container under pressure like a fountain.
2. Infection with lactic acid bacteria. Possible when using contaminated water or insufficiently clean dishes.
3. It's cold in the room. At temperatures below 24°C, fermentation often stops, the yeast dies, and souring begins.
Is it possible to stop the “work” of acetic bacteria and start fermentation again?
In my practice, I have come across “valuable” advice that supposedly allows you to start fermentation again. I even tried some of them. I didn't notice any benefit. And it couldn’t be. Because alcohol cannot be made from vinegar. In any case, such methods are unknown to modern science, just as there are no known ways to turn a boiled egg into a raw one.
To improve the quality of the final product and free the mash from acidic impurities, and they are always present in small quantities, you can use tetracycline antibiotics, as well as penicillin and nisin. In industrial production, mash protection products are necessarily used. There is no need to worry about the presence of antibiotics in the distillate. This is completely out of the question.
There is no need to pour sour mash down the toilet. Typically, acid fermentation begins not on day 1, but somewhat later, when the intensity of alcoholic fermentation decreases. The carbon dioxide barrier that prevents the liquid from contacting oxygen almost disappears, and vinegar bacteria begin to do their dirty work. The output is vinegar or alcohol mixed with vinegar. In the latter case, distillation is possible, but the quality of the distillate will be low.
If, as a result of fermentation, pure vinegar is obtained, i.e. You can’t taste the strength at all, and you shouldn’t pour it out either. This composition can be used for its intended purpose, for example, for marinating meat.
It happens that moonshine becomes sour. This is a problem that beginners in moonshine most often encounter, who do not take timely measures to prevent oxygen from getting into the mash. But, as it turns out, there are other reasons why it might be.
Can mash even be sour? If you check the taste of mash obtained from any grain under normal conditions, you will notice that there is a bitter aftertaste with the aroma of the original raw material and never tastes sour. This means that souring of the mash is still a phenomenon that should not occur under normal conditions. What can be done to prevent this from happening?
Why does the mash turn sour?
You should choose quality products as raw materials. In addition, observe their ratio and carry out the processes described in the recipe as accurately as possible.
What could be the reasons for the mash to turn sour?
In addition to the fermentation of alcohol, other processes and reactions occur in the mash that may not be related to moonshine brewing. Bacteria and microorganisms live in raw materials, on dishes or in the air. All of them are involved in reactions under certain conditions. Such reactions can cause souring, the appearance of odor, and the cessation of fermentation.
The main reasons why mash turns sour:
- Excess oxygen. Fermentation occurs anaerobically, which means that in order for the yeast to process sugar into alcohol, there must be a lack of oxygen. If you do not install a water seal or constantly remove it, for example, for mixing, the amount of oxygen increases. Although it does not prevent fermentation, it promotes the beginning of another process - the synthesis of acetic acid. As a result, the mash acquires a sour taste, and the concentration of ethyl alcohol is significantly reduced.
- Another cause may be lactic acid bacteria. If they become infected, fermentation will stop and the mash will spoil. It is useless to revive such a product; you just have to throw it away.
- Another reason may be a violation of the temperature regime. To prevent the mash from turning sour, it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature in the room. For fermentation it should be 25–28 degrees.
- The reason, as already mentioned, may be the lack of a water seal. A water seal is necessary for the release of carbon dioxide, and it also prevents the access of oxygen. An alternative would be a glove with a hole in one finger. In some recipes, a water seal is not specifically installed, and the acidity level must be carefully monitored.
Separately, it is necessary to say about infection by bacteria and fungi. Often, instead of the usual ones, wild yeast is used or they end up in the wort from natural raw materials. The waste products of such yeast are alcohol compounds. But not all types of microorganisms are suitable for this. In some cases, the mash may be infected with other pathogenic fungi, and it will be impossible to obtain a quality product. The concentration of harmful impurities in the mash will be too high, so much so that there will be no point in distilling it into moonshine.
When ingested by certain other bacteria, dimethyl sulfide may be formed. In this case, a sign of infection is the smell of corn. It also happens that the mash smells like rotten eggs. In this case, a lot of hydrogen sulfide was formed. At the same time, acidity, oddly enough, may be within acceptable limits. But it is also not recommended because moonshine will have the same taste.
Thus, sour mash can not only be of poor quality and give little yield, but also dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to know the signs that the mash has gone sour. This is usually indicated by the following:
- incorrectly installed water seal, for example, with distortion;
- sudden cessation of fermentation;
- pungent vinegar smell;
- burning sour taste.
Prevention is the correct selection of ingredients, installation of a water seal of any design, the tightness of the fermentation container and its neutrality. In addition, you can protect the mash with some drugs, for example, antibiotics:
- In winemaking and moonshine brewing, tetracycline antibiotics are used to prevent mash from souring. For making wine, for example, most often it can be Doxycycline. It is commercially available, inexpensive, stable in an acidic environment, and does not affect the taste of wine and moonshine.
- Another safe food additive is nisin. Used in the production of food and beverages. It dissolves well in liquids, works well in acidic environments, and is inexpensive. However, it is quite difficult to obtain, and some types of bacteria are immune to it.
- Antibiotics of the penicillin group are also often used in the preparation of moonshine. Among them, the most widely used is Amoxicillin. This is a very effective antibiotic, but it has a significant drawback - its components often cause allergic reactions. Therefore, it can only be used for mash that will undergo distillation, since it completely disintegrates during heat treatment.
Antibiotics are most often used in combination because bacteria have the ability to develop resistance to certain species. Therefore, most often several of them are required. They are added before adding yeast, and if acid appears, the procedure is repeated after 3-5 days.
How to fix sour moonshine?
One way is to add baking soda and chalk. The effectiveness of this method depends on how much acetic acid appears in the mash. If it only has a pungent odor, and the taste of alcohol is not felt at all, then the easiest way is to simply pour out the mash, because the yield of moonshine will be low. If alcohol is still present in the mash, you can try to save it. The technology looks like this:
- First, we distill the mash, finishing the selection at a strength below 45%.
- We measure the total strength and determine the amount of alcohol.
- Dilute to 20% and add soda and chalk, at the rate of 25 g of substance per liter of pure alcohol.
- Mix and seal tightly. Leave for 3-4 hours.
- Next, we distill again, collect 15% separately and pour it out. We finish the selection at a strength below 45%. At the end, dilute the moonshine to the desired strength and leave for 3 days until it stabilizes.
There is another way to save sour mash. When fermentation stops, add sugar in the amount of 2 tablespoons per liter of substance. After 2-3 hours, signs of fermentation appear. In addition, you can add sourdough from fruits, berries or grains. If fermentation has not started, you can pour in rice at the rate of 0.5 cups per 10 liters of wort. After two days the taste becomes normal.
How to prepare mash so that it does not turn sour?
To begin with, when preparing, do not forget that the grain does not contain sugar. It contains starch, which is a polysaccharide, therefore, in order for sugar to ferment into alcohol, it must be prepared - broken down.
For this, enzymes or malt are used. Malt contains natural enzymes. To prepare it, the grain is sprouted. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to use ready-made malt or artificial enzymes. Because if the cooking technology is violated, the product may be spoiled.
Wild yeast does not require preparation, but may not be sufficient if the grain is not properly processed. For beginners, it is recommended to use artificial yeast. But they need preparation. To do this, dissolve a little sugar in warm water, then add the required amount of yeast in the correct proportion. The yeast solution is infused for about one and a half hours. After the appearance of abundant foam, transfer it to the mash.
When installing the mash for fermentation, you must remember to be completely sealed and observe the temperature regime. It is also very important not to stir the mash, especially in order to speed up the process, as this can lead to souring. Depending on the raw material, fermentation takes up to 2 weeks, after which distillation takes place.
Sour mash is considered an emergency situation. This is not the norm. When the mash turns sour, you must try to save it or simply pour it out, but you should not drink it or distill it in this form, although the presence of acetic acid itself is not harmful. If the mash has turned sour due to other bacteria, that is, infection has occurred, it is not recommended to use it further. Even if you managed to save the mash, you still shouldn’t drink it, just distill it.
Sour moonshine is a problem that new distillers often encounter when they make mash without a water seal. If measures are taken in time, you can try to save the drink using available means. Separately, we will consider the causes and measures to prevent mash from turning sour. During fermentation, yeast produces organic acids, so do not panic ahead of time - the mash should have a slight sourness (the intensity depends on the raw materials). The main thing is to prevent acetic souring, which is easy to recognize by the characteristic signs listed below. In turn, the finished moonshine should not be sour; this indicates a violation of the technology. Signs of sour mash: - the water seal is missing or incorrectly installed; -sudden cessation of fermentation; - sharp, “in-your-nose”, vinegary smell; -burning sour taste, sometimes even cramps cheekbones. Why does the mash turn sour? It's all about acetic bacteria, which, when there is air in the mash and a temperature of 6-45°C, begin to process the resulting alcohol into acid and water. At the beginning of fermentation, carbon dioxide pushes oxygen out of the container, preventing souring. But when the intensity of fermentation decreases, carbon dioxide becomes insufficient, resulting in oxygen freely contacting the surface. This is why mash without a water seal turns sour only at the end or after fermentation stops. Depending on the raw materials and temperature, complete souring takes from 3-4 days to several weeks. When the strength drops below 0.2%, vinegar bacteria enter into suspended animation. But even a slight souring (less than 24 hours) is enough for the distillate to develop a sour taste, which will have to be eliminated, and not always successfully. Prevention of sour moonshine. After adding the ingredients and yeast, it is enough to install a water seal on the fermentation tank. Then be sure to check the tightness - blow inside through the outlet tube; if installed correctly, the gas should not come out of the container. The water seal releases carbon dioxide, releasing excess pressure, but prevents oxygen from entering the container. Thanks to this, the mash does not turn sour even a couple of weeks after fermentation has completely stopped. In the first case, a lot of organic acids released during the fermentation process, which have a high boiling point (more typical for grain or fruit mash), get into the moonshine. In the second, the material comes into contact with alcohol; as a result of these chemical reactions, various acids can appear. Prevention - do not be greedy, finishing the distillation on time, and choose moonshine stills (including containers and connecting tubes) from materials inert to alcohol: copper, stainless steel, glass, etc. How to fix sour moonshine. The effectiveness of the proposed method depends on the degree of souring of the mash. If there is too much acetic acid (a pungent smell, a burning taste and the strength is not felt), it is easier to pour out the mash, since the yield of moonshine will be minimal - the bacteria have converted almost all the alcohol into acid and water. In other cases, you can try to improve the taste, but re-distillation will definitely be necessary. Acid quenching technology: 1. Distill the mash for the first time, end the selection when the strength in the stream drops below 45%. Measure the total strength of the moonshine and determine the amount of pure alcohol. For example, 2 liters of 55% contain 1.1 liter of pure alcohol (2*0.55=1.1). 2. Dilute the distillate with water to 20%. 3. Add baking soda or chalk to the moonshine at the rate of 25 grams of the substance per 1 liter of pure alcohol. 3. Stir. Close tightly. Leave for at least 3-4 hours. 4. Distill again. During distillation, the first 15% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol is collected separately, poured out or used for technical needs. End product selection when the yield strength drops below 45%. 5. Dilute the moonshine with water to the desired strength, seal tightly and leave for 3 days to stabilize the taste.
Many people involved in moonshine brewing are interested in how to remove bitterness from moonshine. There are several cleaning methods that remove impurities from the drink and solve the problem of unpleasant aftertaste.
Ways to eliminate bitterness
The bitterness in moonshine and its unpleasant odor are due to the presence of fusel oils and other fermentation by-products. They can be removed by chemical and physical methods.
Moonshine without bitterness
Basic methods for cleaning and eliminating bitterness and unpleasant odor of moonshine:
- Freezing.
- Cleaning with soda.
- Using orris root.
- Cleaning with potassium permanganate.
- Re-distillation.
- Filtration of impurities using coal, bentonite and other sorbents.
- Cleaning with milk, butter, egg white.
Moonshine becomes bitter due to the by-products it contains. To remove them, oxidizing agents, sorbing materials, filtration and sedimentation are used.
Freezing moonshine is a method used both in villages and cities. For freezing, use a stainless steel barrel or glass container (jar). Moonshine is poured there and cooled until ice appears, which is water with impurities dissolved in it. Moonshine remains liquid, and also becomes more concentrated, its strength increases. The freezing process can be repeated until the bitterness disappears.
Moonshine is also cleared of bitterness using baking soda. Take 8-10 grams of soda per liter of liquid and mix. Let stand for 30 minutes and stir again, leaving the mixture for 12 hours. Soda forms salts with fusel oils, which precipitate or remain on the surface of the water. To complete the cleaning process, the top layer of liquid is drained and the sediment is removed.
Orris root removes bitterness in moonshine and eliminates unpleasant odor. It is crushed before use. To cleanse 3 liters of drink you need 100 grams of violet root. Within 12 hours, sorption of fusel oils occurs and the moonshine is purified. Violet root is an effective, but not the most affordable remedy.
Bitter impurities in moonshine can also be removed using potassium permanganate. Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent that causes fusel oils and other compounds to oxidize and form a precipitate.
Potassium permanganate powder is taken at the rate of 2-3 grams per 3 liters of moonshine. You need to stir the solution and wait until the impurities settle. To speed up the process, moonshine with potassium permanganate is heated to 50-70 degrees. The temperature must not be exceeded because the alcohol evaporates. The resulting precipitate is removed.
Repeated distillation will help to cope with the unpleasant smell and taste of fusel oils. To do this, you need to dilute the moonshine with water and pour it into the distillation apparatus. Impurities will also leave the unit along with the water. This method is the most effective, but requires a lot of time.
Charcoal helps in the fight against bitterness. As a rule, birch is used. This is available for sale. You need to make sure that it is not soaked in the mixture for better ignition; the BAU-LV and BAU-A brands are suitable. You can make birch charcoal yourself - burn wood until charred, let it cool and grind it. Then put them in several layers of gauze and filter the moonshine through a homemade filter.
Bentonite, clay, and activated carbon can also be used as a sorbent. It should be remembered that the latter has a significant drawback - it absorbs only large molecules. It lets through low-molecular compounds, which make up the majority.
Bentonite and clay absorb harmful substances well. However, their effectiveness is also limited.
Instead of a homemade carbon filter, you can use a water filter. It's inexpensive. Purification occurs due to the sorbent retaining fusel oils and other compounds that impart bitterness to the drink.
To cleanse with milk (fat content no more than 1.5%) you will need one glass of the product per 20 liters of moonshine with a strength of 50 degrees. The mixture is shaken and left without light for a week. The temperature should be about 20 degrees. Of the seven days, five need to shake the mixture, and the last two days precipitation occurs. The sediment is filtered using layers of cotton wool.
Cleansing with egg whites occurs in a similar way. It is beaten with 200 grams of warm water and mixed into the drink. One protein is enough for one and a half liters.
Refined oil removes bitterness. You need 20 grams per liter of moonshine. The mixture is shaken for 5 minutes 3-4 times, then left for twelve hours. Refined vegetable fats will bind fusel oils. It is better to use a bottle for this purpose, plugged with a slightly loosened cork. It is turned over, the oil remains at the top.
To eliminate bitterness, you can also infuse moonshine with apples and carrots. The fiber in chopped vegetables and fruits absorbs bitterness and gives a pleasant aroma.
How to avoid bitterness?
An unpleasant taste may be a result of using low-quality equipment or contaminated water. The raw materials from which the alcohol-containing product is made also matters. Utensils are an important factor.
To prepare moonshine at the fermentation stage, you should choose a container made of chemically inert material. Aluminum and galvanized cookware are not suitable, especially if the raw materials are sour fruits and berries. Such materials can cause not only bitterness, but also severe moonshine poisoning, including failure of organs and body systems.
It is best to use containers made of glass rather than metal.
It is better to use distilled, demineralized water for making moonshine. Chlorine and inorganic salts found in tap water can enter into chemical reactions with fermentation products - this leads to an unpleasant odor and the appearance of bitterness. Boiled water is also not suitable - it may contain rust or lime.
Perhaps the cause of bitterness will be the exhaustion of the moonshine still. Each part in it has its own service life, after which it requires replacement with a new one.
Conclusion
Removing bitterness means clearing the drink of impurities. The most reliable way is to re-distill.
Moonshine in home winemaking is most often used as the main material for preparing liqueurs, tinctures and other alcoholic beverages. The bitterness in moonshine can ruin their taste. It is unpleasant to drink such a drink either in its pure form or infused with herbs or fruits.
Causes
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In order not to remove bitterness in moonshine, it is necessary to eliminate the possible causes of its appearance before distilling the wine material.
Burning
The cause of the bitter taste of the finished product is the solid fractions of impurities found in the mash. During the distillation process, they stick to the coil and, when heated, burn to the inner surface. The most effective way to prevent the consequences is to filter and clarify the wine material before distillation.
To filter the mash before distillation, ordinary gauze filters are used.
Wrong mash
In the practice of home winemaking, there are cases when crushed fruit seeds get into the raw materials intended for making mash. They contain a large amount of tannins and tannins. They impart a bitter taste first to the wine material, and then to the final product.
Bitterness in moonshine can be caused by rotten raw materials used to prepare the mash. The same effect is obtained when the wine material is not cleared of sediment in time. Basic recommendations for prevention:
- carefully select raw materials for preparing moonshine and prevent seeds from getting into it;
- carry out filtering in a timely manner.
Bad yeast
Poor quality yeast contaminates the wort, which gives the drink a bitter taste. Pathogenic microorganisms cause acetic acidification of the product. It leads to mold. The only way to save wine material is filtration and heat treatment of the mash.
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