Clarifying mash using activated carbon. How to clarify the mash before distillation? Cleaning mash in various ways. It has become widely used in the areas

Fans of home brewing, striving to obtain a high-quality drink, claim that the first step towards realizing this goal is preparing the mash for distillation. During this process, carried out in many different ways, the mash is purified from fusel oils and a number of harmful substances.

About types of cleaning

The most popular cleaning methods are:

bentonite
hibiscus decoction
edible gelatin
milk

The above methods can be applied to an already ripened product intended both for drinking and for distillation in a moonshine still. Slightly less popular are the methods of freezing and filtration using press filters.

Why lighten the mash? This is done in order to remove a dense layer of suspended particles called “dead yeast”. When subjected to heat treatment, they not only burn to the walls of the distillation container, but also decompose, forming substances that have a rather unpleasant odor and taste. This significantly worsens the taste and color of moonshine: instead of a clear drink, you can get an unattractive gray liquid.

The addition of sorbents (gelatin, bentonite or hibiscus) affects the sedimentation of yeast: under their influence, they sink in a dense layer to the bottom of the fermentation tank, helping to clarify the mash.

Degassing technique

Degassing the mash is, although not mandatory, a very useful manipulation designed to finally stop the yeast fermentation process and remove carbon dioxide from the wort. It is the final stage of preparing a well-fermented product for purification.

There are different ways to degas mash:

The most primitive consists of vigorously stirring the matured drink. This operation can be performed manually, but it is better to arm yourself with a mixer or a whisk attached to a drill. The duration of the process (it must be continuous) is at least five minutes.
With the second method of degassing, it is necessary, stirring constantly, to heat the matured drink to a temperature of just over fifty degrees. After removing from the heat, allow it to cool naturally: during this time the yeast will have time to die.
The third method is the simplest. To stop the fermentation process by stopping the vital activity of yeast cultures, you simply need to take the fermentation container into a cold room - with a temperature of five to twelve degrees - and leave it there for five to six hours. Lightening the mash with cold is used provided that its strength has reached 11-12%. Such a drink can stand in a cold room for several months without turning sour. If not fermented and too cold, it will not lighten.
After making sure that the mash is degassed, mix it well and begin clarification. Cleaning mash with bentonite is perhaps the most popular way to prepare it for distillation. This is where we will begin our review, simultaneously looking at the pros and cons of each cleaning method.

Uses of bentonite

Bentonite for mash (or white clay, named after the American Benton field) is a natural mineral that has a number of unique properties:

Contacting liquid, it increases its original volume by 15 times.
By contacting foreign substances, it binds them, causing the appearance of flakes that quickly settle to the bottom, thereby saving time.
It remains chemically neutral with respect to alcohol compounds that are part of the material being cleaned.

Clarifying mash with bentonite allows you to quickly and effectively clean it from most harmful impurities and unpleasant odors. The only disadvantage of this cleaning method is a significant (up to 10%) reduction in the volume of the purified drink due to the removal of sediment.

Where can I get bentonite to clarify mash? Professionals use special varieties produced for the needs of winemaking, and amateurs can purchase bentonite litter for cat litter (the highest ratings from users were given to the brands Zoonik, Katsan and Pee-Pee-Bent), which does not contain flavorings or foreign substances. additives, but we strongly do not recommend doing this; it is better to use bentonite specially designed for cleaning, which is sold in stores for distillers.

How much bentonite is needed to clarify the mash before distillation? One tablespoon of natural mineral per ten liters is enough.

How to clean mash with bentonite?

White clay must be thoroughly crushed, freeing it from lumps, using a coffee grinder, mortar or spoon.
The crushed mineral must be diluted in water (0.5 liters is enough for a tablespoon). Having mixed well and achieved the formation of a homogeneous consistency, the solution is left for 3-4 hours to swell.
After shaking the prepared solution, it is carefully poured into a vessel with mash.
After stirring, the drink is left alone for several hours.

It will take at least a day to settle the mash, effectively clearing it of dense suspension and fusel oils. After waiting for a thick white sediment to form at the bottom of the fermentation tank, the drink is drained through a hose, after which distillation begins.

Cleaning with gelatin

Clarification of mash with gelatin (so-called fining) is used in relation to its grain, fruit and berry types. This technique, which is very effective and completely harmless, has the advantage that drinks clarified with its help do not lose their unique flavor and aromatic properties. Moonshine prepared from such mash retains the taste of the raw materials from which it was made.

Instructions for using gelatin are extremely simple:

Having measured out the required amount of edible gelatin (proportions of the clarification solution: 2 g of gelatin per 10 liters of mash), pour it with cold water (at the rate of 0.2 liters per gram).
The soaked gelatin is left to swell for a day, periodically (every 8 hours) draining the water and replacing it with new one.
After 24 hours, add the same amount of hot water to the container with the swollen gelatin and, after mixing thoroughly, achieve complete dissolution of the coagulant.
The prepared solution is added to the bottle with mash. The settling time of fusel oils, dangerous enzymes and suspended particles ranges from 48 to 72 hours. After a thick sediment has formed, the mash must be drained, filtered and distilled.

Lightening with milk

You can lighten the mash with milk. This gentle and completely safe technique, which allows you to refine grain and fruit mash before distillation, has been used by moonshine masters for centuries. Albumin and casein contained in milk, reacting with fusel oils, form a number of insoluble compounds with them. During the distillation process, they remain in the mash without turning into moonshine.

The success of the result largely depends on both the fat content of the milk and the correctness of the proportions used.

If the clarification procedure is performed before distillation, the fat content of the milk can be any. Pour it into the fermentation container (at the rate of 1 liter per 10 liters of mash) and stir, wait until sediment appears. After this, the mash must be filtered, doing this at least twice: first using multi-layer gauze, and then using a piece of thick cotton cloth. Having finished filtering, they begin distillation. The duration of the cleansing procedure is no more than two hours.
To clean drinking mash that is not intended for distillation, it is recommended to use either skim or low-fat milk. Why? So that the fats contained in milk do not make the drink too cloudy.
When using powdered milk, it is diluted with warm water and infused for three hours. After pouring the diluted powder into a vessel with mash, wait for a white flaky sediment to form (this process may take several hours).

Filtering the mash using the method described above is mandatory for any use of milk.

Using hibiscus

Many home brewers lighten the mash with hibiscus tea, made from dried hibiscus petals, to obtain a drink suitable for drinking. This technique can also be applied to the mash that will be distilled. Due to the high content of fruit acids, hibiscus decoction effectively suppresses the activity of yeast microflora.

How to clean mash using hibiscus?

To lighten 10 liters of mash, take 70 grams of hibiscus.
The components for preparing the lightening decoction are taken in the following proportion: 10 g of petals per 0.1 liter of water. Having brought to a boil, the tea is boiled, stirring, for five minutes.
After cooling the broth to room temperature, add it to the bottle with mash.
After thorough mixing and capping, the drink is infused for 24 hours in a room with a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees.

Under the influence of fruit acids contained in hibiscus petals, a dense sediment quickly forms. The mash becomes red in color. This does not affect the taste and aroma properties of the drink.

Application of citric acid

Clarifying mash with citric acid is based on the same mechanism as in the case of using hibiscus. Exposure to an acidic environment deactivates yeast and stimulates precipitation.

Taking citric acid (a tablespoon per ten liters), pour it into a bottle and, after stirring, wait for a sediment to form. Then you need to use baking soda to normalize the acidity and neutralize the unpleasant vinegar smell by adding a tablespoon of soda to the fermentation container.

Considering the high aggressiveness of clarification using hibiscus and citric acid, they are used in relation to grain and sugar mashes.

Clarification with filter paper

How to clarify mash using filter paper? Taking a sheet and lining a funnel with it, they begin to slowly pour mash from the bottle into it. Foreign impurities and yeast components will remain on the paper.

The advantages of this technique are that with this method of cleaning the mash does not require settling, and the loss of the drink is minimal. Among the disadvantages are the high consumption of filter material (the paper will have to be changed after filtering every two liters) and the duration of the procedure, which is delayed due to the low throughput of the filter.

Filtration of mash will give better results if it is done in two stages, first using filter cardboard with large pores, and then placing fine-pored paper in the funnel.

Those who love strong alcoholic drinks and prefer to brew them at home always want to receive only a high-quality product as a result. As you know, a lot in moonshine depends on the mash and its preparation before distillation.

There are many different methods for preparing mash, thanks to which it will be cleared of fusel oils and other substances.

Types of cleaning

Among the variety of cleaning methods, it is worth highlighting the main ones:

Using bentonite.
Hibiscus decoction.
Edible gelatin.
Using milk.

The described methods can be used for ripened product, which is ready for consumption or distillation. There are other methods to lighten mash. For this purpose, the method of freezing and filtration with special filter elements is used.

Why lighten the mash? This question interests many people, but this is needed to remove “dead yeast”. Such material gives off an unpleasant taste and aroma, which significantly deteriorates the quality of the finished drink. In addition, the color of moonshine without lightening will be opaque, but rather cloudy.

Degassing techniques

This technique is not mandatory, but it is very useful in moonshine brewing. Degassing will stop yeast fermentation forever and remove carbon dioxide. The technique is used as the final stage in preparation, before cleaning itself.

There are several techniques for degassing mash:

The simplest thing is to quickly stir the drink, which is already ripe. It is recommended to use a mixer for this. Continuous stirring should be at least 5 minutes.
The second method also involves stirring, but at the same time you need to heat the drink by more than 50 degrees. After this, you can remove it from the heat and leave to cool. During this period of time the yeast will die.
You can stop fermentation if you place the container in a cold place, for example, in a cellar. The temperature should be from 5 to 12 degrees. Under such conditions, the vessel should remain for about 6 hours.

Clarifying the mash with cold can be used if the strength is 11-12%. Such a product can stand and not sour in a cold place for months. If the drink is unfermented, then it will not be possible to clarify it. Lightening will not occur if the mash is exposed to severe frost. After degassing, you need to thoroughly mix the mash and begin to clarify it.

Clarification with bentonite

This method is the most common among moonshine brewing. Bentonite is a natural raw material that has many advantages:

Upon contact with liquid, bentonite will increase in volume tens of times.
All foreign substances turn into flakes and fall to the bottom upon contact with the material.
Bentonite is neutral to alcohol, which is in the mash.

Cleaning mash with this material allows you to carry out the procedure quickly and efficiently, removing not only harmful impurities, but also unpleasant odors. The disadvantages of such clarification include a decrease in the resulting moonshine due to sediment. The amount of drink is reduced by 10%.

For those who have access, it is better to use bentonite, which is used in winemaking. At home, you can use animal litter. For a product to be cleaned, the volume of which is 10 liters, 1 tbsp will be enough. such material. In general the process looks like this:

Bentonite (white clay) is ground using a coffee grinder.
Then, the product is diluted in water. For 1 tbsp. 05.l of water is used. After stirring, you need to achieve a puree state, then leave the product for 4 hours to swell.
The solution is shaken and poured into the mash.
After stirring the ingredients, you need to leave the vessel for a while.

Cleansing takes place over the course of a day or several days. When there is a white sediment at the bottom of the vessel, the drink must be drained and distilled.

Cleansing with gelatin

If the mash is fruit, berry or grain, then it is better to use gelatin to clarify the mash. This technology is considered the best for these types of brews and is harmless to humans. Its advantage is that after clarification and purification, the drink will retain its taste.

To lighten the mash you will need:

Apply the correct amount of gelatin. To do this, you need to add only 2 grams of gelatin to 10 liters of mash. First, the gelatin will need to be filled with cold water. For 1 gram, 200 ml of water is used.
After soaking the gelatin, it should be left for a day to allow it to swell. You will need to change the water 3 times a day, draining the old one.
After a day, pour the same amount of boiling water into the swollen gelatin and stir the ingredients to completely dissolve everything.
The finished solution is poured into the mash. After 2-3 days, the mash will be cleaned, and a thick sediment will be a sign.

After this technology, you need to drain the liquid, strain and you can distill.

Lightening with milk

Lightening can be done with milk. This technology is considered safe and is used for grain and fruit mash. Milk contains elements that, when interacting with fusel oils, create particles that cannot dissolve. After the purified mash is distilled, the particles will remain in the mash, thereby not ending up in the moonshine.

The success of this technique depends not just on the milk, but also on its fat content, as well as on the number of ingredients. How to clean the mash using this method:

If the mash is clarified before distillation, then milk can be used at any fat content. It needs to be poured into a fermentation vessel in the amount of 1 liter per 10 liters of mash. After thoroughly stirring everything, you need to wait until a sediment appears. Next, the mash is filtered at least 2 times. For this, gauze is used, and then cotton cloth. At the end of filtration, you need to start distilling the contents. Cleansing using this technology does not take more than a couple of hours.
To clean drinking mash that will not be distilled, you must use skim or low-fat milk. This will prevent fats from turning cloudy.
If you use powdered milk, you will initially need to dilute it in warm water and let it brew for 3 hours. After this, the contents are added to the fermentation vessel and white flakes are expected to appear.

Filtration is carried out using any described method of clarifying mash with milk.

Application of hibiscus

Lightening the hibiscus mash allows you to make the finished product suitable for consumption. This technology can be used for mash that is being prepared for distillation. Due to the acids that hibiscus tea is rich in, yeast activity will be suppressed. To carry out cleansing you need:

For 10 liters of mash, 70 grams of hibiscus is used.
For the brightening solution you will need to use 10 grams of dried tea per 100 grams of water. Water and tea are mixed, then brought to a boil and, after stirring the ingredients, leave to cook for 5 minutes.
After the drink has cooled, it must be poured into the vessel.
Next, the components are mixed and, having sealed the vessel, left for a day in a warm room.

When the acid starts working, a dense sediment will appear in the container. In this case, the mash will have a characteristic red tint, which does not affect the taste and smell. This is how mash is clarified with hibiscus tea.

Cleansing with citric acid

This technology is based on a similar effect as with hibiscus tea. An acidic environment will stop the yeast from working and also cause sediment to appear. For 10 liters of mash you will need 1 tbsp. acids. It is poured directly into the vessel and mixed, after which you need to wait until a sediment forms.

Next, regular soda is added to normalize the acidity and to remove the vinegar aroma. For 10 liters put 1 tbsp. soda It is recommended to use hibiscus and citric acid for grain and sugar based contents.

Cleaning with filter paper

For this technique you need to use a piece of paper from which a funnel is made. Then you need to pass the mash through a funnel into a large bottle. All particles that need to be removed will remain on the paper.

The positive side of this technology is that there is no need to defend the product, and the losses of the drink itself will be negligible. The disadvantages of this method include the high consumption of sheets. After all, they should be changed every 2 liters. In addition, such cleansing takes quite a long time.

Lightening with alcohol

You can clean the mash not only using the methods described above. Clarifying mash is also possible with alcohol. To do this procedure, you need to pour a small amount of alcohol into the container after fermentation. After a day or less, the yeast will settle as sediment.

Of course, ideally, this technique is not recommended, because after the mash contains a sufficient amount of alcohol, the yeast itself will die and settle at the bottom in the form of sediment, after which clarification will take place naturally. But in practice, spontaneous death of yeast rarely occurs, since it is difficult to correctly measure the amount of sugar.

These are all the possible ways to lighten mash at home. Using any of the options described, you can clean the product and make it beautiful in appearance. Thanks to some techniques, you can preserve the aftertaste and aroma of fruits or berries.

After your mash has completely fermented, and the wine meter shows the amount of sugar equal to zero, you need to proceed to the next significant stage in the preparation of moonshine - clarification of the mash. This procedure is carried out in order to sediment all unfermented yeast, cake, pieces of fruit peel to the bottom of the fermentation container, that is, “remove the mash from the sediment.” This is done so that all the products involved in fermentation do not burn in the distillation cube during distillation and do not worsen the taste of the moonshine.

It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that if the mash has not yet completely fermented, then removing it from the sediment will be problematic. Experienced distillers stop fermentation by either increasing or decreasing the temperature - placing the mash in the cold for a couple of hours (10-15 degrees) or, on the contrary, heating it up (up to 50-55 degrees).

There are a few ways to lighten mash– bentonite, gelatin, hibiscus tea, alcohol, citric acid and through special paper filters.

Clarification with bentonite

The simplest and easiest way to lighten. Bentonite is an organic white clay that is used in food production to precipitate waste products of microorganisms. Bentonite is absolutely harmless and neutral to the alcohol environment. It also does not affect the taste and quality of mash or wine.

To lighten the mash, 1 tablespoon (about 40 grams) per 15 liters of mash is enough. It is necessary to pour bentonite into the mash and mix. Then leave for 3-6 hours. Then pour using a hose or overflow siphon. The main thing is not to scoop up sediment at the bottom. Please pay special attention to the fact that it is not advisable to pour bentonite into a sink or toilet after clarification due to the risk of concreting the sewer. Clarification with bentonite is the simplest solution for a moonshiner. We suggest you use a popular and high-quality (convenient to store and use), suitable for wine and mash.

Clarification with gelatin

The most labor-intensive method of lightening. Most often used in making wines from fruits. To lighten 20 liters of mash you will need 5-6 grams. gelatin. Pour gelatin into a saucepan and fill with cold water (400-500ml). Leave it this way for a day for swelling. After a day, add more water to the jelly-like mixture and heat it to 60 degrees, stirring constantly so that all the gelatin dissolves. Pour the resulting mixture into our mash and mix thoroughly. Leave for 2-3 days until the sediment completely falls out. Then pour using a hose or overflow siphon. This method is used extremely rarely due to the large amount of time spent.

Lightening with Hibiscus tea

One of the ways to lighten mash, in which a color change occurs; in this case, the mash becomes dark red. To clarify 20 liters of mash you will need approximately 150 grams. tea. Brew it in 1 liter of water and cool to room temperature. Add the cooled infusion to the mash and leave for about a day. After this, drain the sediment using a hose or overflow siphon. If you want to make Calvados, cognac or fruit wines, we advise you to resort to another method, since clarification with hibiscus tea may change the taste of the mash. This method is usually used when making mash to produce alcohol.

Lightening with citric acid

Yeast stops fermenting and precipitates in an acidic environment. For 20 liters of mash we will need 50-60 grams. citric acid. Add citric acid to the mash, mix thoroughly and leave for 3-5 hours. After clarification, drain through a hose or overflow siphon. It is important to remember that with such clarification it is necessary to reduce the acidic environment that forms after adding citric acid. To do this, add baking soda to the mash. Be careful - if this is not done, the moonshine will have a vinegary taste. It is for this reason that this method is not often used in moonshine.

Clarification through filter paper

One of the favorite ways to filter moonshiners. The filter paper is placed in a funnel and the mash is carefully poured out in a thin stream. It is very important to periodically change the paper - every 1 - 1.5 liters, otherwise the filtering capabilities will deteriorate sharply. The main disadvantage of this method is that with a large amount of mash, you will need a lot of filters and a lot of time.

Clarifying mash with alcohol

In most cases, this method is suitable for sugar mashes, since it precipitates only unfermented yeast. Pour 100-200 grams into a container with mash. “tails” and leave for a day. Then drain through a hose or overflow siphon.

In custody

Also, most moonshiners use paper filters when pouring through a siphon. To do this, place a paper filter in a special niche that will be lowered into the container. This filter will not allow sediment to pass through if you do scoop it up. We hope our advice will be useful to you. Good luck!

Alcohol products are varied, but most people prefer moonshine. This is due to the fact that it is safer and cheaper than many drinks. Experienced moonshiners know that the first step in preparing a good product is making and clarifying the mash. This is done to improve the quality of moonshine and is not a prerequisite.

The process of purifying the mash is necessary to get rid of impurities that are harmful to the body, as well as to reduce the amount of fusel oils in it and eliminate the unpleasant odor. After clarification, high-quality and less harmful products are obtained. By ignoring cleaning and moving on to distillation, you end up with a mass that is burnt to the walls of the vessel, which smells unpleasant and spoils the drink.

There are several ways to lighten the mash before distillation at home. Their difference lies in the clarifiers used in this process. Since the mash is infused on different bases (grain or sugar), it will not be cleaned the same way. For this purpose most often used:

Activated carbon;
bentonite;
gelatin;
hibiscus;
citric acid;
milk;
alcohol;
soda;
natural method.

Not all methods are equally effective. Some of them are considered useless, for example, clarifying mash with cold. However, why it is necessary to clean and filter the workpiece, as well as which method to choose for this, everyone decides for themselves. The main requirement is that the product achieves the correct degrees. A sufficient strength is considered to be 11% or more.

Activated carbon

Natural absorbent helps clarify liquid. But fusel oils are absorbed only by special coal; it is purchased at places where goods for home brewing are sold.

Activated carbon from the pharmacy removes toxins and harmful substances directly from the body. It will not work to clean the mash before distillation. If it is not possible to purchase a special absorbent, it is recommended to buy charcoal for barbecues or prepare it yourself at home.

For proper use, mix coal with mash and let stand for 24 hours. After this, the liquid is removed from the precipitate and filtered. Then you can distill it to produce strong alcohol.

Uses of bentonite

Cleansing with this type of clay is considered one of the most effective. Concrete is a white substance used in agriculture and construction. They buy it in specialized stores for home brewing. Some manufacturers use bentonite in the manufacture of cat litter. It can also be used, but only on condition that it does not contain flavorings or other substances harmful to health.

During the cleaning process, the exact proportions of the clarifier are observed. Excessive amounts will ruin the drink. For 10 liters of moonshine preparation, it is recommended to use 20 g of bentonite. For proper clarification, you must follow the following algorithm:

Betonite is ground to flour using a coffee grinder, blender or rolling pin.
The resulting powder is dried in the oven. To do this, lay it out on special baking paper and leave it in the oven for half an hour, preheating it to 120 °C.
Add 2 tablespoons of powder to 1 liter of hot water.
Mix well until creamy and lumps are completely removed.
Leave to swell for 10 minutes.
Pour the resulting mixture into the mash. To do this, stir the liquid with a spoon until a funnel appears and pour the substance into the center. If the mash container is used with a narrow neck, then after adding it you need to shake it well.

After mixing, close the container with the liquid tightly and put it in a dark place. Leave it for about a day until complete delamination. The purified moonshine preparation must be filtered using a rubber tube without touching the sediment.

Concrete is classified as solid waste. If you wash it down the drain, you will end up with a blockage in the drain due to the clay hardening. It is recommended to dispose of any remaining substance in a regular trash bin.

The natural way

The natural way

The natural purification method is not suitable for all types of mash. It's rare that a mixture of residues peels off evenly. A common occurrence is the formation of several layers that differ in density. It is recommended to use this method with partial cooling, since it is not always possible to lighten the mash with cold.

To ensure that the sediment falls evenly on the bottom of the container, the liquid is kept for 7 days in a room with a temperature of about 6 °C. A cellar or refrigerator is suitable for this purpose.

After a week, a sediment forms at the bottom of the vessel, and clear liquid remains on top. It is carefully removed, trying not to touch the dense mass. To do this correctly, place the container with the mash on the table, lower the tube into it and pour it into the distillation cube.

Some recipes use additional ingredients. To prevent their particles from contaminating the moonshine preparation, the top layer should be filtered. Filtration is carried out using gauze or a strainer.

Application of gelatin

As gelatin hardens, it changes consistency and, drawing in pieces of sediment, falls to the bottom. The undoubted advantage of this product is the lack of taste.

To clean the mash, take 2 g of gelatin per 10 liters of prepared liquid. It is diluted in two glasses of water and changed three times during the day. After the time is up, the swollen gelatin is added with fresh water and heated until it dissolves.

A comfortable temperature for dissolving the product is from 40 to 50 °C. You can't boil it. The resulting mixture is mixed with mash and left to infuse for 48 hours. When the sediment has completely settled, the mash is removed through the tube.

Hibiscus tea

Hibiscus tea

The acids that are included in tea help the moonshine preparation to clarify. They bind impurities to the remaining yeast and precipitate.

For proper use, according to the instructions, 70 grams of hibiscus tea are poured with 1 liter of water. The liquid is placed on the stove in a suitable container and boiled for about 10 minutes. After cooling, the flowers are squeezed out and disposed of, and the infused tea is poured into mash.

To allow sediment containing harmful substances to form, leave the resulting liquid for a day. Thanks to tea, the mash turns pink or red, which will disappear during the distillation process. It is not recommended to use this cleaning method for mash made from grains and fruits., since tea will change its taste.

Citric acid and milk

Citric acid and milk

A package of citric acid weighing 25 g should be dissolved in 150 ml of water and added to 10 liters of mash. The workpiece should be left for a day in a cool place, but not in the cold. Upon completion of the process, it is necessary to remove the liquid using a rubber tube.

The resulting product is sometimes sour, so soda or honey is added to restore the taste. After neutralizing the acidity, moonshine is made from the mash.

Milk for cleansing is purchased with the lowest fat content. A liter of product is poured into 10 liters of mash and infused until a flaky white sediment appears. This process usually takes about 4 hours.

Strain the unclarified mash through gauze folded in several layers. You can carry out additional drainage through the filter.

Alcohol and soda

A small amount of alcohol is added to the mash and left to infuse for 24 hours. As with all methods, the purified mixture is drained using a tube. It is important not to disturb the sediment. The advantage of this option is that it increases the strength of the drink.

Instead of pure alcohol, many people use residues from the previous distillation. The alcohol content in this mixture must be at least 25%. To clean mash with soda before distillation you will need:

10 liters of prepared liquid;

10 g soda;

10 ml water.

10 liters of prepared liquid;

10 g soda;

10 ml water.

The alkali diluted in water is poured into the mash. After 20 minutes, mix the liquid well or shake it, put it in a cool place for 12 hours, avoiding freezing. The resulting product is poured without sediment into a container for distillation.

The fermentation stage of the moonshine preparation can be completed quickly and forcibly. To do this, heat the mash to a temperature of 60 °C and clean it. If the heat is higher, the alcohol content will not be sufficient for distillation.

Although not everyone considers purifying the mash to be an obligatory step, you should not ignore it, because otherwise you will not be able to get good, high-quality alcohol. It is advisable to familiarize yourself with why you need to lighten the workpiece and choose the most convenient option for yourself.

To obtain high-quality moonshine without unnecessary impurities and fusel oils, it is very important to properly process the mash. Regardless of the manufacturing method and the raw materials used, the alcohol-containing liquid must be clarified before distillation. Otherwise, the moonshine will turn out cloudy, with an unpleasant odor and will be harmful to health.

In some cases, the mash clears itself when it settles - then you need to carefully drain it from the sediment, strain through a gauze filter and use it for its intended purpose.

If the liquid is cloudy and in doubt, you should resort to one of the popular methods of fining (clarification) and only then begin distillation.

Clarifying mash with bentonite

A substance similar to white clay was first evaluated in the USA, where they noticed its ability to increase in volume when wet and bind harmful impurities. Today, bentonite is actively used in moonshine and winemaking, as well as in other areas of the economy.

The advantages of this cleaning option: naturalness, high efficiency, low cost and ease of use.

For 10 liters of mash you will need 1 tablespoon of the product and about half a liter of boiling water. It is better to purchase special bentonite for winemaking, but other types are also suitable, including ordinary white pharmaceutical clay without additives.

By analogy, mash is lightened with cat litter. It must consist entirely of bentonite and contain no flavoring substances, otherwise it will be an extremely dangerous undertaking.

Method of application

Grind the bentonite or grind it in a coffee grinder to a powder.

Pour boiling water over the substance, mix well and let it swell for 2-3 hours.

Remove excess water, pour the solution into a container with cloudy mash in a thin stream, stirring continuously.

Leave the clarification liquid for a day and carefully drain it from the sediment.

Clarifying mash with cold

One of the simplest methods that does not require additional ingredients. Use refrigeration (not suitable for grain drinks) or freezing. In the first case, it will take about a week, in the second – no more than half a day.

As you know, alcohol does not freeze, but water and fusel oils turn into ice at low temperatures. In turn, cooling effectively stops the yeast from working and promotes its precipitation.

Method of application

Pour the mash into a container with a lid and refrigerate.

Wait for the prescribed period and drain the purified drink.

Pass the alcohol through a sieve and paper funnel.

Clarifying mash with citric acid

For 10 liters of alcohol you will need 1 tablespoon of lemon. To neutralize the sour taste, soda, honey or chalk are added to the drink before distillation. This method is optimal for grain moonshine; it is better to clean fruit mash in a gentle way.

Method of application

Dilute citric acid in a small amount of water, pour the solution into the mash.

Wait about a day, remove the product from the sediment.

Add soda or another neutralizer (1 tbsp) to the drink and strain.

Lightening hibiscus mash

Hibiscus petals contain a higher amount of acid and act in a similar way to lemon: they stop the activity of yeast and bind impurities.

For 10 liters of alcohol-containing product you need 70–80 g of hibiscus and about 1 liter of water.

Like the previous method, this option is better suited for a grain drink. The pink color of the mash will not affect the color of the moonshine.

Method of application

Soak the flowers in water and put on fire.

Bring the liquid to a boil, remembering to stir.

Cover the container with a lid, let it brew and cool.

Strain the infusion, squeeze the liquid from the flower mass into it, and discard the cake.

Pour hibiscus tea into the mash and leave for 1 day.

Remove the drink from the sediment and pass through cotton wool.

Clarifying mash with gelatin

This method works better for fruit drinks. It gets rid of yeast bacteria, but does not eliminate fusel oils, so double distillation after fining is recommended. For 10 liters of mash you need 2 g of gelatin.

Method of application

Pour gelatin with cold water (0.4 l), leave for 24 hours, replacing the water with fresh water every 8 hours.

After a day, drain the last batch of cold water, add warm water (0.4 l), mix well and add the gelatin solution to the mash.

Wait three days and carefully decant the alcohol.

Clarifying mash with alcohol

This method is used to stop fermentation in too sweet liquid. Alcohol stops the yeast from working and causes it to precipitate.

The amount of the ingredient is determined arbitrarily. Instead of alcohol fining, you can lighten the mash with tails remaining after the previous distillation (minimum strength - 25%). The latter option allows you to increase the yield of a strong product and accommodate waste.

Method of application

Add alcohol to the mash.

Wait a day, drain from the sediment.

Clarifying mash with milk

One of the fastest and most effective cleaning methods. For 10 liters of mash, take a 1-liter package of store-bought milk. You need to choose a product with minimal fat content, otherwise the condition of the drink will only worsen - it will acquire an unpleasant odor.

Cooking method

Pour milk into alcohol, stir, leave for several hours.

Wait until white flakes fall out, strain the liquid through two types of filters: gauze and paper.

Lightening mash with coal

Charcoal is able to absorb harmful compounds, so it is ideal for purifying alcohol.

The substance obtained by burning birch logs and a charcoal preparation sold in specialized stores work best.

The worst option would be barbecue charcoal or pharmaceutical tablets. For 10 liters of mash you will need 2-3 tablespoons of crushed coal.

Method of application

Grind the coal and add it to the wort.

Wait 1 day and strain off the sediment.

Pass the liquid through a carbon filter.

Clarifying mash with soda

For 10 liters of mash, take 10 g of soda (baking or soda ash) and 10 ml of water. To enhance the effect, you can add potassium permanganate diluted with water (2 g per 1 liter) to the soda solution.

Method of application

Dilute baking soda with water and pour into mash.

Mix well, wait a quarter of an hour.

Shake the liquid and refrigerate for half a day.

Decant the mash and pass through the filter.

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