Prepare high-quality moonshine. Cleaning between distillations

Connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages know how important it is for alcohol to be of high quality. Moonshine is a classic drink that you can make at home yourself from natural products.

You can give it any flavor you want. To get real high-quality moonshine, you need to strictly follow the preparation process.

Subtleties of moonshine brewing

Moonshine is a drink of Ancient Rus'. It was a must on any holiday table. In the 80s of the last century, the tradition of making this drink at home was revived in our country.

The ban on alcohol and the shortage of granulated sugar in stores prompted people to make moonshine from natural products. Grain crops began to be used most often.

In addition, grain-based drinks taste better than sugar-based drinks. It takes longer to prepare, but the result is a sweet-tasting alcohol that is easy to drink.

Preparing quality products at home is a very difficult task. It is necessary to approach this process carefully, observing all the subtleties and stages. Failure to follow the preparation rules can result in you ending up with a cloudy drink with an unpleasant odor and taste.

Classic cooking technology

Making moonshine takes up to two weeks. The entire process of moonshine brewing at home includes several stages:

1. Selection of raw materials;
2. Fermentation;
3. Distillation;
4. Cleaning;
5. Introducing taste and aroma.

Selection of raw materials

The main criterion for this item is saving money. Sugar prices today are not cheap, so many are trying to replace it with other products that contain sugar and tannins. These products include:

• corn;
• sugar beet;
• potato;
• starch;
• berries and fruits.

Everyone chooses yeast according to their taste.

Fermentation

The main process in moonshine brewing is the fermentation of the product. The quality of the resulting moonshine depends on how it is organized.

Braga is made as follows. For 1 kg of sugar we take 100 grams of pressed yeast or 20 grams of dry yeast. Fill with 4.5 liters of water slightly above room temperature. Ideally, the temperature should be between 28 and 30 degrees.

You need to leave a little space in the jar, do not pour it to the very brim. Everything is thoroughly mixed. Dice the yeast into cubes and add to the water. Leave for thirty minutes until the cubes dissolve.

Shake the jar to mix the contents well. Crumble a small piece of cookie inside. This will help you avoid foam coming out. No need to stir. Insert a small plastic tube into the cap of the bottle.

Close the lid. Pour water into a small jar and lower the hose into it. Fermentation will begin in forty minutes. This can be seen by the bubbles in the small jar. The future moonshine is removed to settle for two weeks.

During the fermentation stage, certain rules must be followed:

1. It is necessary to observe the temperature regime. At the very beginning, you need to make sure that the temperature is not too low. This may cause fermentation to stop. Fungi will not be able to die, but they will not develop either. At the same time, very high temperatures will lead to the death of fungi;
2. The quantity of ingredients must be strictly observed. For example, not enough sugar will cause slow fermentation.

Distillation

The correct technology includes distillation of the product. Moonshine stills are used for this. By heating the mash, they release ethyl alcohol. Distillation is an important stage, but at home it is difficult to maintain the temperature regime for its implementation. The purpose of this stage is to separate the alcohol from other substances.

The first distillation is carried out at maximum power. The moonshine still tank is filled 2/3 full. As soon as the temperature reaches 89 degrees, the first drops will begin to separate.

During the first distillation, the “heads” and “tails” are not separated. This is due to the fact that during the boiling process the yeast emits a very unpleasant odor. The longer they cook, the worse it will become.

But there are often cases when the “heads” and “tails” are separated already during the first distillation. When the heat is high, the “heads” will come out first. They mean light impurities that begin to separate at a water temperature of 65 degrees. For every kilogram of sugar, up to 30 ml of impurities come out. You definitely need to get rid of them.

After the heads come out, heating continues. During this period, the bulk of the drink is separated. The distillation temperature should be 98 degrees. Once the temperature rises to 96, the “tails” or fusel oils will begin to separate. This is a particularly harmful part of moonshine.

During the first distillation, the “tails” are separated only from sugar-based mash. But in grain and fruit mash, these compounds give the aroma and taste of the drink. Therefore, they are not cut off in the first distillation.

“Tails” are not as harmful as “heads”, so they can not be thrown away, but can be used to add to the next mash.

Cleaning

After the first distillation is completed, the drink must be purified and prepared for the second distillation. This process can improve the quality of moonshine. You can clean it in several ways:

Many people use comprehensive cleaning using several options.

High-quality purification of moonshine is very important. It will not only add flavor to the drink, but will also relieve you of headaches and hangovers in the morning.

The purity of the product is best at a strength of less than 35 degrees. It is at this concentration that fusel oils are best separated. Before cleaning, the drink must be left for at least two days. Also, it should be at room temperature.

The fastest and most effective cleaning is done using activated carbon. The method of carrying out the procedure is as follows:

• a cotton pad is placed in the funnel;
• Next comes a layer of fine coal fraction;
• large fractions on top;
• then cotton pads.

Thus, you can clean the moonshine right away without additional difficulties.

If you want to purify with milk, it is best to do this after the final distillation. This is due to the fact that protein particles may remain in the drink, and when heated they will emit an unpleasant odor.

To clean 20 liters of a drink with a strength of 50 degrees, you will need a glass of milk. Take only pasteurized milk with a fat content of no more than 1.5%. The procedure is as follows:

• milk is poured into the moonshine and shaken well;
• close tightly with a lid and put away in a dark place for a week;
• The liquid must be mixed well for five days to ensure the milk reacts;
• For the last two days we leave the drink so that everything settles;
• filtration is carried out through layers of cotton wool.

This method is considered effective, since this is how purification is carried out in vodka production.

Secondary distillation

The second distillation is carried out in the same way as the first. The drink is heated, portions of 50 ml are collected for each kilogram of sugar. The process is carried out until the strength drops to 40 degrees.

Introducing taste and aroma

To improve taste and get rid of unpleasant odors, flavorings and additives are used. The taste is added to the drink by adding lemon and orange zest. A bitter taste can be made using vanillin and bay leaves. Cinnamon. Muscat will add a spicy taste to your drink.

Moonshine recipes

Standard

A classic moonshine recipe will require:

• 6 kg sugar;
• 25 g citric acid;
• 18 liters of water;
• dry yeast - 120 gr.

Three liters of water are poured into the pan and all the sugar is added. The water is heated to 80 degrees. The resulting syrup is boiled for 10 minutes. Next, add citric acid and cook over low heat for 60 minutes.

Add the remaining water and softened yeast to the cooled liquid to 35 degrees. Then the fermentation process begins.

To understand that the mash is ready for distillation, you need to observe the following signs:

1. Appearance of alcohol odor;
2. The surface of the mash becomes lighter;
3. A precipitate appears;
4. Bubbles and hissing disappear;
5. The match does not go out over the mash.

Moonshine on oak bark

Moonshine infused with oak bark is similar to cognac. To prepare you need:

• 5 liters of jam or 5 kg of sugar;
• 15 liters of water;
• 350 grams of yeast;
• 50 grams of oak bark.

Oak bark is added at the rate of 50 grams per 1 liter of moonshine. The product is infused for about a week.

Homemade cognac

You can make delicious homemade cognac using moonshine. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of sugar and black tea, 10 black peppercorns, a pinch of vanillin, 6 bay leaves, and lemon zest to 5 liters of moonshine. The drink is infused for 10 days in a dark place.

Moonshine brewing technology is a very complex process that has its own subtleties and secrets. The nuances of preparing the drink come with experience, but if you listen to the advice and recommendations of those who have been preparing moonshine at home for a long time:

• For cleaning, it is best to use birch charcoal. This is what is used in water purification filters;
• to get a softer and more natural drink, brew wheat-based moonshine;
• Do not skip a single step in preparing the drink. This may negatively affect the quality of the drink;
• if after cleaning the moonshine with milk a cloudy shade has formed, add a little orange zest;
• To get a quality drink, you need to take only clean water. If water is used from the tap, it must be left for at least 24 hours.

Once you understand the process of moonshine brewing, you can make natural alcoholic drinks to suit every taste at home. Using flavorings, you can make both cognac and tincture. Bottles of high-quality and tasty alcohol will always be on your holiday table.

If you haven’t tried making homemade moonshine yet, but are already looking towards moonshine stills, it’s time to read our article. We do not advocate for alcohol; on the contrary, we insist that even alcohol can taste good and sometimes even be healthy.

Despite the impressive store assortment and quality control of manufacturers, there is still a lot of surrogate on our shelves. And the cost, it must be said, is also not the most compelling argument in favor of such a purchase. It would be much more interesting to take up distilling yourself, especially since we describe moonshine brewing in such detail for beginners.

What you need to get started

Of course, you can’t get by with the tools at hand, but everything is not as scary as it seems at first glance. So, a beginner should start with the following set:

• moonshine still, preferably factory-made;
• alcoholometer or hydrometer for measuring alcohol strength;
• ingredients for making mash;
• cleaning container;
• storage bottle.

This is the minimum set of what will make the first moonshine for beginners from complete scratch. In the future, when your hand is already “full”, you can get a bubbler to increase the strength, a selection of interesting recipes, a flavoring basket and other “goodies”, without which it is difficult to imagine a home distillery.

Equipment and utensils

First you need to find a glass bottle for the wort. We recommend a transparent one so that you can clearly see how fermentation occurs, when the foam settles and sediment falls. Experienced moonshiners focus on the glove and give another day or two of reserve. But for beginners it is better to see what is happening with the wort in the initial stages.

The volume of this container is at least 20-30 liters, preferably with a wide neck, so that in the future you can make not only sugar, but also grain and even fruit and berry mash.

The main thing a distiller needs is a unit. Previously, when this process was part of criminal proceedings, such devices were made from improvised means - pots, basins, etc. Today, moonshine stills are sold ready-made and the only question is which one to choose and how much to pay for it.

It is mandatory to have a hydrometer - at all stages of production it is necessary to measure the alcohol strength in order to start preparing the drink in time, be able to separate the tails and heads and subsequently dilute it correctly with water to the desired strength.

A thermometer, as a rule, comes with the distillation cube and shows the boiling point of the mixture.

VIDEO: The first moonshine for beginners from scratch

How to make the simplest mash

Since we have touched on the topic of the first moonshine for beginners from scratch, we offer you the simplest recipe for sugar mash. From it you will get high-quality alcohol, excellent vodka and other derivative drinks. In order not to get lost in the range of recipes, let's start with this:

• purified (bottled) water - 22 l;
• granulated sugar - 5 kg;
• alcohol yeast - 200 gr.

A few words about choosing yeast

We highly recommend using alcoholic yeast, not baker’s yeast. They ripen faster - within 6-7 days, and not 12-15, like bread. Less foam will be produced, so there will be no need to use a defoamer. But the most important thing is that the mushrooms do not die at a high concentration of alcohol, as often happens with bakery ones, and new yeast has to be added during the fermentation process.

• The already prepared composition is stored in a warm, dark place.
• The fermentation temperature should not be lower than 26°C.
• The water for the wort should be spring, well, or, in extreme cases, bottled. It is forbidden to use boiled water - it does not contain dissolved oxygen necessary for mushroom growth.
• Strictly follow the dosage instructions.

Making mash

From the above ingredients you can get about 5 liters of ethyl alcohol with a strength of 45-48°C.

So, the order is as follows:

1. We heat the water to 26-28°C. We pour some of it and dilute the sugar until completely dissolved.
2. Add yeast crushed by hand to the mixture and stir until completely dissolved. We wait until abundant foam appears.
3. Pour the yeast solution into the rest of the water (heated to 26-28°C, cover it with a medical glove and send the container to a warm (not lower than 27°C) and dark place.

Do not fill the bottle to the brim - the first 4-5 days there will be a lot of foam. There should be at least 1/3 free space left.

1. We make several holes on the glove with an awl or a needle - excess carbon dioxide will escape through them.
2. We wait 5-7 days until the yeast ripens.

How to determine readiness

It doesn’t matter whether you drink alcohol 10 times or just for the first time. There are 3 main signs by which it becomes clear that the mushrooms are ripe:

• the glove has fallen off, which means that the release of CO 2 has stopped;
• there is no foam and fallen sediment is visible;
• There is no sweetness to the taste, only bitterness and an alcoholic aftertaste.

Carefully, preferably with a hose, so as not to stir the sediment, pour the mash into the distillation cube 2/3 full, so as not to create excessive pressure during boiling.

First stage

After the base has been poured into the cube, we assemble all the other parts of the moonshine still according to the diagram. There must be constantly cold water in the refrigerator - in factory models there is a flow of water, which allows you to quickly cool the drops and get an almost cold product at the output.

Since we are preparing the distillate from sugar mash, there is very little sediment, and we can immediately heat the still. We do this gradually, monitoring the temperature with a thermometer. In a minute it should increase by an average of 5-6°C, and we bring it to 86°C, then gradually reduce it by 5-6°C per minute to 68°C. At this moment the first drops begin to appear. They are collected in a separate container, since this is the most poisonous part of the distillate, popularly called “heads”.

Their quantity is determined in this case by the amount of sugar - 50-60 ml for each kilogram. Since we used 5 kg of sugar to prepare the mash, it means that the head will come out to about 300 ml. This part is poured out, since it contains a very high concentration of methyl alcohol and acetaldehyde.

If you plan to make a second distillation, and this is a necessary condition for obtaining high-quality alcohol, at the first distillation you take not 50 ml from each kilogram of sugar, but only 30 ml. The remaining 20-30 ml of heads will be used in the second distillation.

Factions

The main task of the distiller is to correctly separate the fractions and obtain a pure alcoholic drink, as free as possible from fusel oils and other harmful impurities.

There are 3 main fractions with different boiling points:

• "Heads";
• "Body" or "Heart";
• "Tails."

The first part, as was said earlier, is the heads - a concentrate of poisonous alcohols. The strength is 75°, the color is cloudy. People call this part pervach or pervak, and some prefer to drink this drink, considering it very strong. In fact, a person does not get drunk, but is poisoned with methyl.

“Body” is the middle part of the distillate with a strength of 40-60°, and makes up the very drink for which the entire distillation process is started. They drive it exactly until the strength drops below 40°, which is checked with a hydrometer, alcohol meter, or simply set fire to the alcohol on a spoon. While it’s burning, they take it away; when it doesn’t burn, the tails go.

“Tails” are the final part of the distillation, which includes residual fusel oils. Some experts pour the tails into the next batch of mash in order to get a fuller bouquet. In fact, such time expenditure is impractical. You cannot get a clearly defined bouquet with their help.

If the moment of cutting off the tails is missed, during the second distillation the fusel oils can be selected at the head stage.

VIDEO: Instructions for beginners - moonshine, the process of distilling mash (heads, body, tails)

Second stage

Before you begin the second distillation, you need to clean the body by passing it through a carbon filter. You can make the most primitive one, as shown in the photo, or use a ready-made sample.

The second distillation follows exactly the same pattern as the first:

• we select 150 ml of heads into a separate container;
• in the main one we collect the body - 4.5-6 liters;
• cut off the tails after the strength drops to 40°.

And then comes another crucial moment - cleaning, since not all fusel oils are gone with their tails and heads. Their boiling point is higher than that of water and alcohol, so they physically cannot evaporate during the distillation process.

Cleaning

Let us dwell on this process in detail, since we are studying the subject of moonshine for beginners. The author of the article practices 3 basic methods that have never failed:

• charcoal;
• potassium permanganate;
• vegetable oil.

Charcoal

A very high-quality method of purification, when the porous structure of coal absorbs (absorbs) up to 80% of harmful impurities. How exactly to clean is not important. You can simply put charcoal or activated carbon in a container with alcohol, leave it for a day, then strain through several layers of gauze 3-4 times. You can make a simple filter, as shown in the photo above, and pass alcohol through it at least 3 times, and then use gauze again.

Potassium permangantsovka

The principle of action is the same - absorption of fusel oils. Add 3 grams of potassium permanganate to each liter of potassium permanganate and leave for 3 days. Next, add a teaspoon of baking soda for each liter, leave for a day and filter through cheesecloth.

Vegetable oil

A very convenient method, which is also based on collecting all impurities on film. Pour in vegetable oil (2 tablespoons per liter), shake vigorously for a minute, leave for a couple of minutes, stir again for a minute, rest again, and shake again. Next, leave the solution for a day, after which the film on top is carefully removed. Be sure to pass through a carbon filter and then filter several times through cheesecloth.

Either method will yield a pure product. You don’t need to use everything at once - choose just one, but do it well, because even for a beginner it’s not difficult.

Dilution with water

The goal is to reduce the strength to reasonable limits. If you need vodka, it will be 40°, if the tincture is 35-38°. For breeding, use clean spring, well or bottled water.

The amount of water is determined by the formula:

(A / B) x C - C = V

• A is the strength of the original moonshine;
• B - desired degree after dilution;
• C is the volume of the product;
• V is the volume of water in which moonshine is diluted

More details about dilution methods and rules are described in the article “”.

When diluting, alcohol is poured into water, and not vice versa, otherwise you will get hot, alcoholized water.

Aromatization and taste improvement

When you use a sugar moonshine recipe, you get a fairly sharp, although not aggressive, taste and aroma. It is advisable to soften it to remove excessive hardness and drink soft vodka rather than strong moonshine.

Each master has his own secrets and proportions, but the following additives are considered universal:

• lemons;
• orange peels;
• peels of oranges and grapefruits;
• pine nuts with husks;
• walnut membranes;
• caramel sugar (2 tablespoons of sugar are diluted with 1 tablespoon of water and fried in a frying pan until dark amber in color).

All these additives will actively impart taste, aroma and astringency only to drinks up to 40°C.

At this point, the study of the theoretical part of moonshine brewing for beginners can be considered completed and now it’s time to start practical exercises. Good luck!

VIDEO: Moonshine brewing for beginners

Moonshine in 2 hours

Place 10 kg of sugar, 100 g of yeast, 3 liters of milk, 30–40 liters of water in the washing machine. Rotate for 2 hours, then let sit and distill.

Moonshine per day No. 1

5 kg of sugar, 500 g of yeast, 1 liter of milk, 1 kg of peas, pour 15 liters of warm water, leave for 1 day, then distill. Yield 5 l.

Moonshine per day No. 2

5 kg of sugar, 500 g of yeast, 3 glasses of milk, crumble 4 loaves of bread, crush 25 medium potatoes, pour 25 liters of warm boiled water over it all and mix. Leave for 1 day. Then distill.

Sugar moonshine

6 kg of sugar, 200 g of yeast, pour 30 liters of warm water and mix well, add a bunch of dry dill and currant leaves for flavor. Infuse in a warm place for 6–7 days, then distill. Yield - 6l.

It is widely believed that 1 kg of sugar produces 1 liter of moonshine. If you use efficient devices, you can get 10 liters of good moonshine from 7 kg of sugar. In this case, excess sugar is not required, since it will still go to waste.

Moonshine starch

Dilute 10 kg of starch with 20 liters of water and brew it like jelly, add 500 g of yeast and 1 kg of sugar. Leave for 3–5 days. Then distill. Yield - 11l.

Moonshine syrup

Dilute 6 liters of any syrup in 30 liters of water and add 200 g of yeast. Leave for 7 days. Yield - 7l.

Moonshine from tomato paste

Moonshine from candies

Moonshine from jam

Moonshine from tomato paste

Dilute 1 liter of tomato paste in 30 liters of water, add 0.5 liters of beer and 10 kg of sugar. Leave in a warm place until it ferments, then distill. The yield is 7–8 liters.

Moonshine from candies

Dilute 5 kg of sweets with filling in 20 liters of water. Leave for 4-5 days, then distill. Yield - 5l.

Moonshine from jam

Dilute 6 liters of fermented jam with 30 liters of warm water, add 200 g of yeast and 3 kg of sugar. Leave in a dark place for 3–5 days, then distill. The yield will be 9 liters. If you do not add sugar, the yield will be 6 liters.

Orange moonshine

Infuse double moonshine with orange zest for seven days (in a ratio of 5: 1). Then dilute with water, the amount of which should be half the volume of moonshine used, and distill so as to obtain a volume equal to the original volume of moonshine. Then carefully cut the zest from two or three oranges and pour in distilled vodka. Leave in a warm place for 5–8 days, then filter. You can sweeten it a little.

Moonshine from fruit and berry juice

Add 250–300 g of yeast to 9 liters of juice, leave for 14 days in a dark place at a temperature of 20–24° C. When fermentation stops, distill. Yield 2–3 l.

Anise No. 1

(Peter I's favorite drink.)

Grind 200 g of anise seeds, pour 10 liters of purified double moonshine over them and leave for 4 weeks. Add 5 liters of water and distill. Add 200 g of crushed anise seeds to the distilled moonshine and leave again for 4 weeks. Filter and dilute 1/3 with soft spring water.

Anise No. 2

Crush 1.2 kg of anise seeds coarsely, pour 6 liters of purified double moonshine into them and leave for 3 days. Add 9 liters of purified double moonshine and distill.

Anise No. 3

Grind 300 g of anise seeds, add 150 g of dill seeds, pour in 10 liters of double moonshine and leave for 4 weeks. Then dilute 5 liters of water and distill. The volume of distilled vodka should be equal to the original volume of moonshine. After this, add 1–1.5 kg of lemon zest, 20 g of ginger, 20 g of table salt and leave for 4–5 weeks. Filter.

Anise No. 4

Grind 400 g of anise seeds, 50 g of caraway seeds, 40 g of orris root and 45 g of dry lemon peel together. Pour in 7.5 liters of purified double moonshine and distill.

Anise No. 5

Finely crush 200 g of anise, pour 5 liters of double moonshine into it and leave for 15 days. Dilute 2.5 liters of water and distill until you get 2.5 liters of moonshine. After this, sweeten with strong syrup to taste and filter.

Anise No. 6

1.2 kg of large crushed anise, 2.5 g of orris root, 60 g of salt, pour 12.5 liters of purified double moonshine and leave for two days, then distill.

Anise No. 7

Finely crush 200 g of fresh anise, pour 12 liters of double moonshine over it and leave for 4 weeks, then distill over moderate heat to obtain 9-10 liters of moonshine. Prepare syrup from 1.6 kg of sugar and 1.2 liters of water and sweeten the vodka. The mixture will be milky in color. To lighten, put 1 egg white there and mix as best as possible. Shake occasionally for several days.

Anise No. 8

400 g of fresh anise seeds, 200 g of star anise, 200 g of coriander, 50 g of fennel, pour 12 liters of double moonshine and leave for 4 weeks, and then distill. To the 10 liters of moonshine obtained by distillation, add 3.3 kg of sugar diluted in 1.6 liters of water and strain.

Anise No. 9

Distill 400 g of anise, 12.5 liters of moonshine over low heat, placing 50 g of crushed anise in a canvas under the outlet of the coil so that the moonshine flows through it. In order for the moonshine to be green, crush 50 g of dried birch leaves and place them in a canvas under the outlet of the coil.

Cherry moonshine

Remove the seeds from the cherries, mash the pulp and place in a separate container in a moderately warm place. During fermentation, close the container with a lid and stir periodically for two days with a stirrer. Crush the cherry pits and, at the end of fermentation, mix with the pulp and distill. Ready-to-drink moonshine has no color. As soon as it begins to become cloudy during the distillation process, it should be collected in a separate container. Cloudy moonshine can be distilled again. Cherry pits give the resulting moonshine a special almond taste and smell.

Dry cherries are also suitable for making moonshine. To do this, they are first placed in hot water, and then, when they soften, they are crushed with a masher. The further process is carried out similarly to that described above. Fermentation in this case proceeds more slowly.

Cherry No. 1 (sweet)

Clean the moonshine by infusing it on coals (see cleaning methods). Pour the cherry pulp and crushed seeds with purified moonshine and distill. Fill the bottle prepared for moonshine with fresh cherries and pour in distilled moonshine so that the moonshine covers the cherries by 8 cm and leave. The readiness of the drink is determined by its thickness: if the moonshine sticks to the glass, then it can be drained and it is ready for use. Sometimes sugar is added to such moonshine at the rate of 100–300 g of sugar per 0.6 liter.

Cherry No. 2 (sweet)

Remove the seeds from the cherries, mash the pulp and put in a cool place for 2 days to release the juice. Then squeeze the pulp through a cloth, mix the pomace with crushed seeds, pour in 3.5-4.5 liters of French vodka (see recipe) and distill. Dilute the resulting moonshine with cherry juice at a ratio of 2:1, add sugar, mix well and filter.

Cherry No. 3 (sweet)

Take 30–36 liters of cherries, remove the pits, squeeze the pulp through canvas or double gauze. Crush the pomace and seeds and put them in a bucket cube, pour in French vodka (see recipe), add 1.2 liters of milk and distill. Add cherry juice and powdered sugar to the distilled moonshine, stir well and filter (for 1 liter of moonshine - 1 liter of juice and 600-650 grams of powder).

Cherry No. 4 (sweet)

5 liters of double moonshine, 65 g of cinnamon, 25 g of cardamom, 15 g of cloves, 15 g of nutmeg, 0.6 liters of water, 4 handfuls of crushed cherry pits, distill until pure vodka comes out. Squeeze the juice from fresh cherries, pour it into a container, let it sit, and when the grounds fall off, strain. Pour the juice into a saucepan, add sugar and cook until 1/3 of the part is reduced, then add cinnamon, cardamom seeds, cloves, cover and simmer over low heat without boiling, then cool. For 1.2 liters of juice, take 400 g of sugar, 15 g of cinnamon, 6 g of cardamom, 10 g of cloves. Dilute the resulting moonshine with the prepared juice at a ratio of 2:1 (one part is moonshine), mix and filter.

Grape moonshine

Add 5 kg of sugar, 100 g of yeast to 10 liters of grape pomace, add 30 liters of water. Leave for 7 days, then distill twice.

Pear No. 1

Boil 10 kg of rotten pears, add 400 g of sugar and 40–50 g of yeast, pour in 1–1.5 liters of water. Infuse in a warm place for 7 days, then distill 2 times.

Pear No. 2

Fill the container halfway with wild pears and let them rot. Then knead and leave for 15–20 days, after which it is distilled 2 times.

Gvozdichny No. 1

Finely crush 100 g of cloves, pour 6 liters of double moonshine, tightly cap the bottle, place in a warm place or in the sun for 7 days, then distill. Boil syrup from 2 kg of sugar, dilute it in moonshine and leave for another day, then filter.

Gvozdichny No. 2

Grind together 800 g of clove heads, 800 g of raisins, 100 g of cloves, pour in 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 7 days, then distill and sweeten with syrup to taste.

Gvozdichny No. 3

Place 10 g of cloves in a bottle, pour in moonshine and leave for 14 days, then dilute with water at a rate of 2:1 (one part is water) and distill to obtain the original volume of moonshine. Crush white raisins (50 g per 1 liter), add cloves (5 pieces per 1 liter) and leave for 14 days on already distilled moonshine. After this, strain, add milk (1 tablespoon per 1 liter) and filter. Can be sweetened (100 g sugar per 1 liter).

Gvozdichny No. 4

Grind 90 g of cloves, pour 12 liters of moonshine over it and leave for 7 days, then add 200 g of cloves and distill. Sweeten at the rate of 400 g of sugar per 12 liters.

Dyagilny No. 1

Finely chop 1.2 kg of dry angelica root, pour in 5 liters of double moonshine, leave for 3 days, then add 6 liters of double moonshine and distill.

Dyagilny No. 2

Grind 500 g of fresh angelica seeds, pour in 10 liters of double moonshine and leave for 3 days. Then distill. Distillation is carried out until the resulting moonshine remains transparent and does not have a milky tint. Sweeten with sugar syrup to taste and filter.

Dyagilny No. 3

120 g angelica, 100 g cinnamon, 100 g cardamom, 50 g lemon peel, pour 18 liters of moonshine. Leave for 4 days, then distill.

Jasmine moonshine

Freshly picked 200 g jasmine flowers, pour 4 liters of moonshine, distill over fairly high heat. Sweeten with syrup and let sit.

Stomach Moonshine

Mix 400 g mint, 400 g sage, 400 g anise, 100 g galangal, 100 g ginger and pour all 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave in a warm place for 21 days, shaking every day, and then distill.

Casserole

Pour 1–2 liters of dry lemon peels into 8–9 liters of moonshine and leave for 24 hours, then distill. Take 100 g of cinnamon, 35 g of cloves, 45 g of star anise, 45 g of cardamom, 10 g of nutmeg and 4 nutmegs, chop everything. Then take a thick glass bottle, fill it with the resulting mixture and fill it with moonshine, leaving free space on top. Coat the bottle with 6 cm thick dough and seal tightly. Heat the oven high and turn it off. Place the bottle there and wait until the oven has cooled completely. Heat the oven and place the bottle there 8–10 times. Inspect the dough after each time. Cover any cracks that appear in it with dough. Then filter the moonshine and sweeten it with syrup to taste.

Raisin moonshine

Mix and chop 800 g of raisins, 400 g of cardamom, pour in a bucket of double moonshine. Leave for 7 days, then distill.

Cardamom No. 1

Coarsely crush 800 g of cardamom, pour in 4 liters of moonshine and leave for 3 days. Then add 3.5 liters of moonshine and distill.

Cardamom No. 2

100 g cardamom, 1.2 kg lemon peel, 200 g cinnamon, 100 g galangal, 100 g cloves, 100 g orris root, 40 g anise, pour 12 liters of moonshine. Leave for 3 days, then distill.

Cardamom No. 3

50 g cardamom, 25 g anise, 20 g cloves, 15 g angelica, pour 12 liters of moonshine. Leave for 7 days, then distill.

Potato No. 1

Wash and grate 20 kg of potatoes and add them to water that has been boiled and cooled to 60°C, stirring at the same time. Add 1 kg of flour and a little chopped wheat straw, mix well. When the mixture becomes light, drain it, and refill the remaining sediment in water at a temperature of 50 ° C. Stir and leave for a little longer than the first time. Then drain the liquid and mix it with the liquid from the first drain. Add yeast at the rate of 100 g per 5 liters and leave for 10-15 days, and then distill as usual.

Potato No. 2

Wash and grate 10 kg of potatoes. Then grind 6 kg of oats, pour boiling water over it and mix well. While stirring, gradually add grated potatoes. After 3 hours, add 37 liters of water and mix again. Then add 1.8 liters of yeast and mix again. Seal the container tightly and leave for 3-4 days in the dark until sediment forms and bubbles appear. After that, immediately distill.

Cinnamon No. 1

Finely grind 400 g of fresh cinnamon, pour in 12 liters of double moonshine, seal tightly and leave in a warm place or in the sun for 7 days, then distill. Sweeten with sugar syrup prepared at the rate of 400 g of sugar per 1.2 liters of water.

Cinnamon No. 2

Finely grind 400 g of cinnamon, pour in 5 liters of double moonshine and leave for 15 days. Then add 2.5 liters of boiled water and distill over low heat until you get 2.5 liters of moonshine, which is sweetened to taste with syrup boiled in cinnamon water.

Cinnamon No. 3

90 g of cinnamon, 45 g of cardamom, 15 g of marjoram, a handful of rosemary and sage, 4 violet roots, pour 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 3 days, then distill.

Cinnamon No. 4

Finely grind 400 g of cinnamon, pour in 2.5 liters of hot boiled water, seal well, and place in a cooling oven. When the cabinet has completely cooled down, move the container to a warm place and leave for a day. Then shake and start distilling. When 0.5 liters of moonshine have distilled, pour another 0.5 liters of water into the cube, then another 0.5 liters of water in the same way. Continue distilling until you get another 1 liter. Then take 2 kg of sugar, dilute 1.2 liters of cinnamon water and boil the syrup. Mix 1.2 liters of double moonshine, the first bottle of distilled cinnamon water and syrup, add 3.5 liters of double moonshine and the remaining cinnamon water, mix, seal well and leave in a warm place for 3 days, then filter.

Cinnamon No. 5

Pour 1.2 kg of dry apples into 12 liters of double moonshine and distill. Grind 200 g of cinnamon and add it to the distilled moonshine, seal tightly and leave for 7 days. Then distill on the lowest heat.

Cinnamon No. 6

Grind 400 g of cinnamon, pour in 2.5 liters of double moonshine and leave for 7 days. Then distill, sweeten with syrup to taste and filter.

Fortifying moonshine

Take 100 g cinnamon, 100 g nutmeg, 100 g nutmeg, 30 g cloves, 100 g coriander, 200 g pistachio nuts, 100 g frankincense, 90 g galangal, 90 g rose petals, a handful of rosemary, a handful of sage, 4 violet roots . Mix everything, grind with a masher and pour in 12 liters of double moonshine. Place in a cooling oven, and then within 3 days place in a cooling cabinet 3-4 more times, and during breaks, wrap the container warmly and leave it in a warm place. For those who have a stove, you can put it there for 3 days. Then distill over low heat, add 100 g of licorice root and leave for 3 days. Carefully drain, sweeten to taste and filter.

Lavender moonshine

Grind 100 g lavender, 25 g cloves, 25 g cinnamon and mix. Pour 12 liters of double moonshine and leave for 7 days. Then put a slice of bread coated with honey into the infusion and distill over low heat.

Bay moonshine

Finely crush 800 g of bay berries, pour in 12 liters of double moonshine, leave for 3 days, then distill as usual.

Lemon No. 1

Infuse double moonshine with lemon zest for 3 weeks (take 5 parts moonshine and 1 part zest). Then dilute with 2.5 parts of water and distill. The volume of distilled vodka should be equal to the original volume of moonshine. Cut off the thin top layer of zest from three small lemons, put it in a bottle and fill it with distilled moonshine. Leave in a warm place for 5–8 days, then filter. You can sweeten it a little (200 g sugar per 1 liter).

Lemon No. 2

400 g of lemon peel, 400 g of violet, pour 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 6 days, and then distill over low heat until 6 liters of moonshine comes out.

Lemon No. 3

Pour the zest of 30 lemons into 5 liters of double moonshine and 3.5 liters of water, add the peels of 4 oranges or 5-6 green oranges, a handful of crushed coriander and 4 cloves. Leave in the sun or in a warm place for 30 days. Then distill until you get 2.5 liters of moonshine. Sweeten with syrup and filter.

Lemon No. 4

1.2 kg of coarsely crushed lemon peel, 60 g of salt, pour 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 3 days, then distill and sweeten 1.2 kg of syrup.

Raspberry No. 1

800 g of fresh raspberries, 35 g of finely chopped orris root, pour 12 liters of double moonshine, leave for 6 days, then distill.

Raspberry No. 2

Pour 400 g of fresh raspberries into 12 liters of moonshine and leave for 2 days, then distill and sweeten to taste.

Juniper moonshine (gin)

Crush 1.6 kg of juniper berries and pour in 8 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 14 days, then distill to ¾ of the original volume.

Moscow moonshine

8 g of galangal, 8 g of ginger, 8 g of anise, 8 g of mint, pour 1 liter of double moonshine and leave for 3 weeks. Then add 1.5 liters of water and distill, obtaining the original volume.

Mint No. 1

Pour 4 handfuls of dry mint into 3 liters of double moonshine, leave for 3 days, then distill. Infuse again until green on a handful of fresh blackcurrant or lovage leaves. Sweeten with syrup from 1.2 kg of sugar, boiled in 0.6 liters of water, and filter.

Mint No. 2

200 g mint, 25 g wormwood, 15 g rosemary, 25 g sage, 15 g cardamom, 10 g cloves, pour 12 liters of moonshine, seal tightly and leave in the sun or in a warm place for 3 days. Then distill and add syrup to taste.

Mint No. 3

800 g of mint, 1.2 kg of honey, 60 g of salt, pour 12 liters of double moonshine, leave for 3 days, then distill and filter.

Liquid moonshine (for liqueurs)

Fill the container 1/3 with the berries from which the liqueur will be made, fill with moonshine and distill. Dilute the resulting moonshine by 1/3 with boiled water and mix thoroughly. This moonshine will acquire the smell of berries, and the liqueur will have a natural smell and pure taste.

Peach No. 1

For 12 liters of double moonshine, take 2 kg of peach leaves, leave for 2-3 weeks and distill. Then take 400 g of peach kernels and bitter almonds, chop, dilute with milk to a jelly state and press through a sieve. Add this jelly to the distilled moonshine and leave for 2 weeks, filter.

Peach No. 2

Finely crush 800 g of peach kernels, dilute with water to a jelly state, fill a thick-walled bottle, seal tightly, coat with dough and place in a cooling oven 8-10 times over the course of two days. Then filter, add 100 g of raisins, pour in 6 liters of double moonshine and distill. Sweeten with syrup to taste.

Peach No. 3

Grind 400 g of peach kernels, dilute 6 liters of moonshine, pour into a thick-walled bottle, seal tightly, coat with dough and place in the oven on medium heat for 3 days. You can put it in a cooling oven for days, but then this must be done at least 12 times. Then filter and distill. Place a handful of birch leaves, a handful of blackcurrant leaves, a handful of bird cherry leaves, and ½ a handful of mint in moonshine and leave for 1 day. After this, strain and sweeten to taste.

Rosemary moonshine

Infuse 400 g of rosemary, 60 g of salt, 12 liters of double moonshine for 3 days. Distill and sweeten 1.2 kg of syrup.

Pink No. 1

Pour 1 kg of fresh pink flowers into 4 liters of purified moonshine. Leave for 1 month, then distill to obtain 2.5 liters of moonshine. Take 0.4 kg of fresh pink flowers, dilute 1.6 liters of soft water and distill over low heat so that 0.4 liters of rose water comes out, add another 0.4 kg of new fresh pink flowers and 1.2 liters of soft water and distill over low heat to obtain 0.4 liters of double rose water. Dissolve 800 g of sugar in the resulting water. Sweeten the moonshine with syrup and filter.

Pink No. 2

Collect rose petals, mash them in a mortar, place them in a container and cover with a layer of salt on top. The thickness of the layer should be such that you can take a normal pinch. Spread a wet cloth, cover with a circle with oppression and leave in a cool place for 6-8 weeks, until the petals begin to rot. Transfer everything into a cube, add water at a ratio of 1:1, mix and distill. The pervach will contain alcohol from roses and therefore have a strong odor. Subsequently, the moonshine will be practically odorless. It should not be used. Distill the first moonshine again, sweeten it, filter it.

Wormwood No. 1

800 g of anise, 200 g of wormwood, pour 12 liters of moonshine, leave for 14 days, then distill.

Wormwood No. 2

300 g of wormwood tops, 60 g of salt, pour 12 liters of double moonshine, leave for 7 days. Then add 1.2 kg of honey and distill.

Wormwood No. 3

1.5 kg of the tops of young shoots of wormwood, 100 g of angelica root, 100 g of orris root, 100 g of oregano leaves, 50 g of anise and 50 g of star anise, pour 12 liters of double moonshine and leave for 4 weeks. Then distill to obtain 8 liters of moonshine, to which add 1.2 kg of sugar dissolved in 0.6 liters of water. This moonshine is tinted green by infusing a handful of blackcurrant or lovage leaves.

Wormwood No. 4

2 kg of wormwood tops, 300 g of angelica, pour 6 liters of moonshine and leave for 2 weeks. Then add 3 liters of water and distill until you get 6 liters of moonshine. This moonshine can also be made green by tinting it for 2-3 days with a handful of blackcurrant or lovage leaves. Then filter and sweeten to taste.

Wormwood No. 5

400 g of anise, 200 g of finely chopped wormwood, pour 12 liters of moonshine and distill.

Pomerantsevy No. 1

Orange (grapefruit) can be replaced with green oranges, but you will need twice as many. Pour 800 g of orange peel without pulp into 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 3 days and then distill.

Pomerantsevy No. 2

Pour 1.5 kg of orange peel into 6 liters of double moonshine and leave for 3 days. Then add 8.5 liters of double moonshine and distill to obtain 8.5 liters of vodka. Sweeten to taste.

Pomerantsevy No. 3

400 g orange peel, 200 g star anise, 45 g cardamom, 45 g cinnamon, 45 g fennel, 35 g cloves, pour 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 7 days, then distill, sweeten to taste and filter.

Pomerantsevy No. 4

Dilute 12 liters of moonshine with 6 liters of water and distill over low heat until you get 3 liters of double moonshine, add 200 g of finely chopped orange zest, seal and leave in a warm place for 7 days. Distill and sweeten with syrup from 1.5 kg of sugar.

Pomerantsevy No. 5

Infuse 20 g of crushed cloves in 6 liters of moonshine for 3 days. Then take 400 g of orange peel, pour in 12 liters of moonshine and leave for 3 days. Add cloves and stir. Distill and sweeten with syrup to taste.

Pomerantsevy No. 6

400 g orange zest, 200 g star anise, 85 g nutmeg, 85 g nutmeg, 85 g cardamom, 85 g cinnamon, 200 g pistachios, 70 g cloves, pour 11 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 7 days and then distill.

Simple moonshine No. 1 (double)

Distill any moonshine through the cube again.

Simple moonshine No. 2 (from millet)

Boil 3 liters of millet, dilute with warm water, add 100 g of yeast, 1.2 kg of sauerkraut dough and leave to ferment. When it sours and ferments, distill it twice.

Simple moonshine No. 3 (from fruits)

Fill a large container halfway with moonshine and fill it with any berries and fruits, fresh and rotten carrion. When the container is full, everything should ferment. After this, drain and distill the moonshine, add new moonshine to the remaining fruits and let it ferment again, and then drain and distill it.

Rice No. 1

A bottle of malaga, 200 g of broken rice, 400 g of large raisins, boiled in water, and as much sugar syrup as needed to taste. Add 400 g of water and 200 g of white brewer's yeast there, leave to ferment in the container for 3-4 days. Then add 12 liters of double moonshine, 6 liters of soft spring water and distill so that 9 liters of moonshine comes out. Pour 0.2 liters of 70° alcohol or triple moonshine into a separate bowl and add 3-4 teaspoons of vanilla. Leave for 3-4 days, then filter. Add vanilla tincture and 2 drops of rose oil to the already distilled moonshine. Place 600 g of fresh oak bark and 5 g of galangal root in a canvas bag. Place this bag in a container with moonshine and seal tightly.

Rice No. 2

2.5 kg of crushed rice, roasted like coffee, 25 g of saffron, pour 60 liters of purified moonshine and distill to obtain 43 liters of vodka, which can be tinted with burnt syrup.

Rowan No. 1

Collect 3 kg of ripe rowan before frost, mash, add 80-100 g of yeast, pour in 12 liters of fresh bread kvass and leave at a temperature of 15-16 ° C. When the active release of gas stops, stir and distill. Then add 6 liters of moonshine and distill again until the foreign odors are eliminated.

Rowan No. 2

After the first frost, collect rowan berries, mash and squeeze out the juice, which is left to ferment in a warm room. When fermentation is over, distill twice. The result will be moonshine without fusel oils with a taste reminiscent of French cognac.

Rowan No. 3

Mash the rowan, fill it with moonshine so that the berries are barely covered and the container is half filled, add yeast at the rate of 15–20 g per 1 liter, close tightly and leave for 14 days, then distill 2 times.

Beetroot No. 1

Grate and boil 8 kg of sugar beets. Add 5–6 kg of sugar to the still warm beets, pour 10 liters of water at a temperature of 25° C. Add 500 g of yeast diluted in a small amount of water. Leave in a warm place for 3-4 days. When the beets sink to the bottom and a crust forms on top, mix everything and distill 2 times.

Beetroot No. 2

Grate the beets, add water and boil for 1–1.5 hours. Pour the liquid into a container, add water to the beets again and boil again for 1–1.5 hours, then drain. Pour in again, boil and drain. Pour all the liquid obtained from three boilings into one container, filling it no more than 2/3 of the volume. Add yeast at the rate of 40 g per 4 liters and leave for 10–15 days until foam stops forming. When adding sugar, potatoes or other ingredients, infusion lasts 4–7 days. At the end of fermentation, distill.

Beetroot No. 3

Prepare 4 liters of beet liquid in the same way as in the previous recipe, add 2 kg of Poltava grain and leave for 4-5 days at a temperature of 20-22° C. Then add another 15 liters of beet liquid and leave for 15 days until ready, then distill.

Beetroot No. 4

Made from molasses. Take 10 liters of molasses, 200-250 g of yeast, pour 25 liters of water. Leave in a warm place for 7 days. Distill 2 times.

Beetroot No. 5

Grate the sugar beets, boil and squeeze out the juice. Take 30 liters of juice, 200 g of yeast and leave in a warm place for 5-6 days. Then distill 2 times.

Plum No. 1

Mash 12 liters of plums, add 1-1.5 kg of sugar and leave for 12-16 days. When fermentation stops, pour everything into a cube and distill 2 times.

Plum No. 2

The ripest plums, along with their seeds, are pounded in a mortar. At the same time, water is added until the mass turns into a liquid porridge, which is left to ferment. When the “porridge” stops releasing gas, it is poured into a cube and distilled 2-3 times.

Caraway No. 1

Pour 1.2 kg of coarsely crushed cumin into 5 liters of moonshine and leave for 3 days. Then add another 5 liters of moonshine, distill and sweeten to taste.

Caraway No. 2

Take 1.8 kg of cumin, crush it, pour in 12 liters of moonshine, distill and sweeten with syrup from 800 g of sugar.

Caraway No. 3

Grind 400 g of cumin, 50 g of anise, 60 g of orris root, 50 g of dry lemon peel, mix, pour in 3.5 liters of double moonshine and leave for 2 days. Then add 2.5 liters of soft spring water and drive through the cube until the resulting moonshine acquires a white color and a pungent taste. Sweeten with syrup to taste and filter.

Caraway No. 4

200 g of cumin, 100 g of coriander, 50 g of anise, pour 18 liters of moonshine and distill, then filter.

Herbal No. 1

Take 1 liter of pine cones, 1 liter of centaury, 1 liter of black currant leaf, 1 liter of lovage (dawns), 1 liter of wormwood, 1 liter of thigh, 1 liter of mint, 1 liter of rosemary, 1 liter of raspberry root and pour it all with double moonshine like this so that it covers the grass. Leave for 2-3 days, then distill.

Herbal No. 2

45 g of cinnamon, 20 g of nutmeg, 20 g of nutmeg, 20 g of galangal, 20 g of orris root, 20 g of incense, 50 g of pistachios, 15 g of cloves, pour 12 liters of double moonshine, add 800 g of crushed raisins. Leave for six days, then distill over low heat.

Herbal No. 3

Take 2 handfuls of marjoram, 2 handfuls of sage, 2 handfuls of hyssop, 2 handfuls of oregano, a handful of anise, 2 handfuls of basil, 2 handfuls of cypress shavings, 2 handfuls of juniper berries, a handful of mint, a handful of rosemary, 400 g of raisins, 100 g of orange peel, 20 g angelica. Pour all this over 12 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 7 days, then distill.

Herbal No. 4

50 g cinnamon, 50 g cardamom, 50 g nutmeg, 100 g pistachios, 120 g lemon peel, 35 g anise, 35 g incense, 20 g cloves, pour all this with 12 liters of double moonshine and close tightly. Infuse in a warm place for 4 days, then distill.

Herbal No. 5

Take 50 g cinnamon, 50 g orange peel, 200 g pistachios, 35 g frankincense, 35 g nutmeg, 35 g nutmeg, 35 g cardamom, 30 g cloves. Crush all this, mix, pour in 15 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 6 days, then add a slice of black bread coated with honey and distill over low heat.

Herbal No. 6

Take 155 g cumin, 155 g sage, 155 g hyssop, 155 g marjoram, 100 g lemon peel, 100 g rosemary, 120 g pistachios, 20 g cinnamon, 20 g nutmeg, 20 g nutmeg, 20 g frankincense, 20 g cardamom, a handful of juniper berries, 20 g of cloves. Pour in 18 liters of double moonshine. Leave for 6 days, then add 800 g of raisins and a slice of bread coated with honey. Distill over low heat.

Herbal No. 7

Take 120 g lemon peel, 100 g lemon balm, 60 g black cumin, 50 g mint, 50 g thyme, 50 g bay leaf, 50 g verbena root. Pour in 12 liters of moonshine, leave for 3-4 days, then distill.

Herbal No. 8

Take 50 g cinnamon, 50 g cardamom, 50 g ginger, 50 g galangal, 50 g nra (calamus), 50 g rhubarb, 50 g licorice root, 50 g star anise, 130 g rosemary, 35 g sage, 15 g capsicum, 15 g marjoram, 35 g nutmeg, 50 g orange peel, 50 g angelica, 50 g caraway, 50 g parsley, 50 g rose petals, 35 g cloves. Pour 12 liters of double moonshine, leave for 6 days, then distill over low heat.

Herbal No. 9

Take 15 g of marjoram, 15 g of sage, 15 g of cinnamon, 15 g of cloves, 15 g of nutmeg, 1.6 kg of sugar, pour in 6 liters of good moonshine. Leave for 2-3 days, then distill.

French vodka No. 1

(This is what very good quality vodka was called in the old days).

Rotten fruits and berries are used, which are filled with water so that it slightly covers them. Then add grape wine and yeast at the rate of 0.7 liters of wine and 50 g of yeast per 12 liters of water-fruit mixture. When everything turns sour, distill through the cube 3 times.

French vodka No. 2

Distill 37 liters of moonshine, 6 liters of milk to obtain 20 liters of moonshine. Add 3 liters of milk, 1.5 kg of rye bread, 6 liters of grape wine, 2.5 kg of raisins, 800 g of sugar and distill until you get 12 liters of moonshine.

French vodka No. 3

Distill 37 liters of moonshine, 6 liters of milk. Add 3 liters of soft spring water, 3 liters of milk, 3.3 kg of rye bread and distill again. Then add 3 liters of white

Grape wine, 1.2 kg of raisins, 400 g of sugar, close tightly and place in a cool place.

French vodka No. 4

Pour 800 g of raisins into 12 liters of moonshine and distill.

French vodka No. 5

12 liters of grape wine, add 650 g of yeast and distill through the cube 2 times.

Bread No. 1

Grind 4 kg of wheat, add 1 kg of sugar, add 3 liters of water and leave in a warm place for 5 days. Then add 5 kg of sugar and 18 liters of water, leave for 7-8 days. When the mash becomes bitter, strain and distill 2 times. Do not throw away the waste, but add 5 kg of sugar, 8 liters of warm water to it and leave for 8-10 days. Then strain and distill this mash 2 times.

Bread No. 2

Sprout 6 liters of rye, wheat or barley and then grind. Soak 8 loaves of black bread in 10 liters of water and grind them too. Boil 10 kg of potatoes and mash them. Mix potatoes with grain and bread, add 1 kg of yeast and leave in a warm place for 7-8 days. Distill 2 times.

Bread No. 3

The grain is soaked in tubs for 3 days, dried on baking sheets for 2 days and dried in an oven. When the grain dries to the point of crunching when bitten, it is ground. Then 2 buckets of hot water are poured into the tub, 8 kg of ground grain is added and mixed. After two hours, add 2 buckets of hot water and mix again. After an hour, add 0.5 buckets of cold water, mix and add yeast. Infuse in a warm place for 3 days, then distill.

Bread No. 4

Sprout 10 kg of wheat, grind, add 0.5 kg of yeast, add 30 liters of water. Leave in a warm place until it ferments, then distill 2 times.

Bread No. 5

1.2 kg of dry Borodino (cumin) bread crusts, 40 g of cinnamon, 30 cloves, pour 10 liters of moonshine and leave for 4-5 days. Then add 5 liters of water and distill until you get 10 liters of moonshine.

Bread No. 6

Sprout 6 kg of rye, wheat or barley and then grind. Soak 8 loaves of black bread in 10 liters and grind too. Boil 10 kg of potatoes and mash them. Mix potatoes with grain and bread, add 1 kg of yeast and leave in a warm place for 7-8 days. Distill 2 times.

Bread No. 7

Soak rye, wheat, barley, millet, corn or peas in warm water, spread in a layer no thicker than 2 cm and let germinate, making sure that the grain does not sour. Dry the sprouted grain, grind it into flour and add little by little to boiling water, stirring constantly. Bring to a liquid jelly state. Then cover the container and leave for 10–12 hours, then cool to room temperature and add yeast (for 2 buckets of starter - 2 kg). If there is no yeast, add 1 kg of dry peas. Ferment for 5–6 days (with peas - 10). When fermentation is over, distill. It turns out very good classic moonshine.

Bread No. 8

Sprout the grain as in bread recipe No. 6 and grind it. Boil the potatoes and pound them hot until they become jelly with the water in which they were boiled, while adding a little malt flour. Then sprinkle the remaining flour on top and leave for 10-12 hours. Then stir, add 0.5 kg of yeast and leave to ferment for 5-6 days, then distill. 2–2.5 buckets of potatoes are boiled per bucket of malt.

Tea moonshine

Pour 200 g of good green tea into 1.2 liters of boiling water, close tightly, let cool and strain. Dilute 7.5 liters of double moonshine with this tea, squeeze the tea leaves through the cloth, close tightly and leave for 8 days. Then add another 100 g of green tea, 2.5 liters of boiled water and distill until you get 3.7 liters of moonshine. Sweeten to taste and filter.

Sage No. 1

200 g of sage, 50 g of coriander, 25 g of dill, 60 g of rose hips or pink, pour 12 liters of moonshine, close tightly and leave for 2 days. Then distill and sweeten to taste.

Sage No. 2

Take 400 g of sage, 50 g of coriander, 50 g of dill, pour in 25 liters of moonshine and distill over low heat. Sweeten and filter.

Apple No. 1

Pour moonshine over fresh apples so that they are all covered with liquid, and leave for six months. Then strain, pour into a saucepan, sweeten to taste and let it boil 3 times, making sure that the moonshine does not flare up. Let it sit in a cool place so that the grounds settle to the bottom, strain and add water at the rate of 2.5 liters per 10 liters of moonshine. Then distill and filter.

Apple No. 2

Grate the apples and squeeze out the juice. For 12 liters of juice, take 1 kg of sugar and 65 g of yeast. Leave in a dark place for 7 days, then distill 2 times.

Making sugar moonshine can be called a classic of domestic moonshine. In terms of love and popularity among Russians, this alcohol is the undisputed leader. There are many recipes for sugar mash and distillation methods, but not all methods give good results. So that beginners do not waste precious raw materials, I will tell you how to properly brew moonshine at home. If you follow the technology, the drink will turn out better than most store-bought vodkas. We will consider in detail all the nuances of the process.

First, I advise you to take care of the cleanliness of the containers you use. The container should be rinsed with hot water and wiped dry with a clean cloth. The cleaner the bottles and pans, the higher the quality. Many novice moonshiners make the mistake of neglecting sterility, and then complain about a foreign smell or taste.

As an example, I will give the exact amount of ingredients that are needed to prepare just over 5 liters of forty-degree moonshine using classical technology:

• sugar – 6 kg;
• water – 24 liters;
• dry yeast – 120 grams (or 600 grams pressed);
• citric acid – 25 grams.

Sugar mash recipe

1. Calculation of proportions. First, let's decide on the amount of moonshine that is needed at the output. At home, 1 kg of sugar produces 1.1-1.2 liters of moonshine with a strength of 40 degrees. But when making calculations, I advise you to increase the amount of ingredients by 10-15%, since for various reasons (temperature, quality of raw materials, improper distillation) the real yield is always less than the theoretical one by this amount.

For 1 kg of sugar add: 4 liters of water (plus another 0.5 liter if inverting is done) and 100 grams of pressed yeast or 20 grams of dry.

2. Inverting sugar. A very complex name refers to the preparation of ordinary sugar syrup with citric acid. The fact is that during fermentation, yeast first breaks down sugar into simple monosaccharides - glucose and fructose, and only then converts these substances into alcohol. Heating also kills pathogenic microorganisms on the surface of the sugar, which are waiting for more favorable conditions to reproduce (temperature and humidity). The activation of harmful microbes in the mash is undesirable, since it can negatively affect the smell.

Moonshine made from inverted sugar ferments faster and tastes better. Although the inversion step is considered optional, and most recipes only suggest dissolving the sugar in warm water, I still recommend boiling the syrup.

To invert sugar for mash, you need to do the following:

1. Heat 3 liters of water to a temperature of 70-80°C in a large saucepan.
2. Add sugar (6 kg) and mix slowly until a homogeneous mass is formed.
3. Bring the syrup to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface.
4. So slow(a lot of foam will appear) add citric acid (25 grams), reduce the heat on the stove to a minimum.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 60 minutes.

Ready syrup

3. Water preparation. A very important stage, during which the taste of the finished product is largely formed. Water for mash must meet hygienic standards and have no color, taste or smell.

Attention! Water for moonshine should not be boiled or distilled, as this will lead to the loss of oxygen needed by the yeast for fermentation.

4. Mixing ingredients. Pour the syrup prepared at stage 2 into a fermentation container, add cold water (24 liters). If using non-inverted sugar, dissolve it in warm water, stirring vigorously. In both cases, the optimal temperature of the finished mixture is 27-30°C.

The container cannot be filled to more than ¾ of the volume, otherwise during active foaming the mash may overflow over the edges and you will have to collect the product with a specific odor along the floor.

5. Adding yeast. Pressed yeast can be added directly to the container after kneading with clean hands. But it’s still better to first dissolve the briquette in a small amount of prepared wort (water and sugar), cover with a lid and wait until foam appears. Usually everything takes 5-10 minutes.

Before adding to the wort, dry yeast needs to be pre-activated. To do this, just strictly follow the instructions on the bag. In most cases, boiled water is cooled to 32-36°C, the required amount of dry yeast is added, covered with a lid, and the container itself is wrapped in thick cloth or placed in a warm place to maintain a stable temperature. After 20-40 minutes, a uniform foam cap will appear on the surface. This means that diluted dry yeast can be added to the wort.

When using baker's yeast, active foaming sometimes begins, which extends beyond the container. As a defoamer for mash, I recommend using a crumbled half of dry store-bought cookies or 10-20 ml of vegetable oil. Adding these products will not affect the quality of moonshine in any way.

The video shows a method for setting mash without inverting sugar with a hydromodule of 1:4.

6. Fermentation. Install a water seal on the bottle with mash and move it to a room with a stable temperature of 26-31°C (very important for normal yeast development). Braga made with inverted sugar has a pleasant caramel smell that does not spoil the air.

To maintain the temperature regime, cover the container with blankets or fur coats, insulate it with building thermal insulation materials, or install aquarium heaters with a thermoregulation system. Fermentation lasts from 3 to 10 days (usually 4-7). Every 12-16 hours I recommend shaking the mash for 45-60 seconds without removing the water seal. Thanks to shaking, excess carbon dioxide will evaporate, which interferes with the normal functioning of the yeast.

Signs that sugar mash is ready for distillation:

• bitter taste (all sugar is processed by yeast into alcohol);
• the release of carbon dioxide has stopped (the water seal does not gurgle);
• the upper layers of the mash became lightened, and sediment appeared at the bottom;
• the hissing stopped;
• there is an alcohol smell;
• a match brought to the mash continues to burn.

Use the signs comprehensively; you need at least 2-3 to appear at the same time, otherwise it’s easy to make a mistake. For example, an excess of sugar leads to the fact that the yeast dies before it has time to process everything. Most yeast fungi “fall asleep” at an alcohol concentration above 12%, so even the finished mash will remain sweet.

7. Degassing and clarification. Making the right moonshine is unthinkable without this stage. It's time to remove the sugar mash from the yeast sediment by pouring into a large saucepan through a straw, then heat to 50°C. High temperature kills remaining yeast and promotes the release of carbon dioxide from the liquid.

Pour the degassed mash back into the bottle and lighten it with bentonite (preferably) - natural white clay, which is sold in bags and as part of cat litter. Verified brands (at the time of publication): “Pi-Pi-Bent”, “WC Closet Cat”, “Kotyara”.

Bentonite

Attention! When choosing white clay, make sure that the composition does not contain aromatic additives that will irrevocably spoil homemade moonshine. Also, fermentation must be completely finished before clarification, otherwise the method will not work.

To clarify 20 liters of mash, you need to grind 2-3 tablespoons of bentonite in a coffee grinder and dissolve in 250 ml of warm water. Then stir and wait until the clay turns into a thick mass, reminiscent of rich sour cream. This takes 10-15 minutes.

Add bentonite to the mash, close the container tightly and shake vigorously for several minutes. Next, leave the mash alone for 15-30 hours, after which you can begin distillation.

The sediment should not be poured into the sewer; cement plugs may appear there, which are then difficult to eliminate.

The use of bentonite removes foreign impurities that did not precipitate during fermentation. As a result, the mash loses its unpleasant yeasty smell, and distilled moonshine is much easier to clean, since the clay removes most of the harmful substances.

Clarified mash

How to distill moonshine

8. First distillation. Drain the bentonite-clarified mash from the sediment into a distillation cube. The purpose of the first distillation is to separate the alcohol from other substances. Many novice and lazy moonshiners stop there, never having tasted the taste of real homemade moonshine made according to all the rules.

Distillation is performed over low heat. I propose immediately dividing the output into factions: “heads”, “body” and “tails”. Collect the first 50 ml per 1 kg of sugar in a separate container. According to our proportions, this is 300 ml of “pervak” - the head fraction, which can only be used for technical needs; due to harmful impurities, this distillate is hazardous to health.

Then select the “body” - the useful middle fraction, called raw alcohol. Stop sampling when the strength of the distillate (in the stream) drops below 40 degrees. It is better to determine the strength with an alcohol meter (necessarily at a temperature of 20°C), but you can also use the traditional method - while the distillate is burning in a spoon, continue sampling.

The last thing to collect in a separate container is the “tails” - the third fraction containing a lot of fusel oils. This distillate can be poured into the next mash (after removal from the sediment) to increase the strength or not collected at all, turning off the moonshine still after collecting the “body”.

9. Cleaning. Before the second distillation, the middle fraction (raw alcohol) needs additional purification from harmful impurities. There is no single generally accepted method; any can be used.

Purifying sugar moonshine with charcoal is considered natural and environmentally friendly, but with the right approach, for example, potassium permanganate with baking soda also gives good results. The main thing before cleaning is to dilute the distillate with water to 15-20 degrees so that the molecular bonds become weaker.

10. Second distillation. Pour the diluted raw alcohol (necessarily for fire safety purposes) into the distillation cube and begin distillation over low heat. As the first time, especially if you are brewing moonshine for yourself, cut off the “heads” - the first 50 ml for each kilogram of added sugar.

Immediately after selecting the first (head) fraction, it is advisable to replace the steam chamber if the module is provided for in the design of the moonshine still. Next, until the strength in the stream drops below 40 degrees, select the main product.

11. Dilution and settling. At the last stage, dilute homemade moonshine with water to the desired strength (usually 40-45%). To make the taste of the drink softer and more balanced, pour the finished product into bottles, cap it, and let it brew for 3-4 days in a cool, dark place. This time is enough for the completion of chemical reactions that occur when mixing liquids.

Stanislav shared the secrets of diluting alcohol with water especially for Alkofan.

All connoisseurs of homemade alcohol preparations know what moonshine is. This classic drink can be prepared independently, and you can make it taste varied, which will satisfy the requirements of any consumer.

And knowledge of the intricacies of the process and its constituent features will eliminate mistakes when making the right moonshine.

Home brewing

All residents of vast Russia, of course, have heard about moonshine. To some extent, it is the same symbol of the Russian people as nesting dolls, a bear or a balalaika. Russians affectionately call him simply “Sam” to foreigners.

However, it should be noted that the moonshine drink is popular not only in Rus':

• in Ukraine it is called gorilka;
• in Georgia and Abkhazia - chacha (grape moonshine);
• in the USA - moonshine;
• in Germany - schnapps;
• in Hungary - Polka.

Today there are many recipes for making homemade wine, which differ:

• constituent components;
• their quantitative ratio;
• the sequence of adding ingredients during the cooking process;
• time spent on fermentation;
• purity and transparency of the finished product.

As a rule, it takes an average of one month to prepare homemade Sam. This time depends on the fermentation period of the sourdough. The starter for moonshine is a ready-made homemade wine, it is called mash.

Making homemade mash

Before we learn how to brew moonshine, let’s learn how to infuse the brew at home. This wine can be prepared just from a mixture of sugar and yeast, it is considered the most popular home-bottled alcoholic drink. And there are many varieties of mash, depending on the ingredients.

Let's start the process of preparing it by studying the recommendations that will allow you to get this high-grade drink of the highest quality.

It is important to achieve an effect in which the infusion is transparent, without any foreign odors. Cook a little for the first time - if you succeed in the recipe and everyone likes it, you can aim for larger volumes.

Sequence of preparing homemade mash:

• take a perfectly clean and dry container (this can be a bottle, bucket or large jar);
• pour 2 kg of sugar into it;
• add 10 g of citric acid;
• dilute 200 grams of pressed yeast (or 40 grams of dry) in 6 liters of purified water;
• mix everything and leave to ferment at room temperature, closing the container with a water seal or pulling a rubber ball or glove over the neck;
• Fermentation of the product will be visible from the inflated ball, and to prevent it from bursting, the bottle must be shaken periodically.

To understand the exact calculation of the elements to be connected, you need to know that when using 2 kg sugar, as in our case, the output will be approximately 2.2 liters of brewed drink. There is no need to cook the mash; it is enough to let it sit for a certain time, periodically checking the taste. When infusing homemade wine it is important to guess the moment so that the mash does not sour. But this is not difficult to understand. If you like the result, pour the homemade wine into bottles, seal tightly and store in a cool place.

To improve the taste, various aromatic additives are added to the infusion:

Braga is the basis for the subsequent stage of production of pure potion - moonshine. Having learned how to prepare home brew, let’s take a closer look at how to make moonshine.

Making moonshine

Moonshine brewing also occurs in several stages:

• preparing sourdough (mash);
• sourdough fermentation period;
• first cooking over low heat (pervach);
• primary cleaning

All other actions are performed if you want to get even higher quality alcohol, different in taste and smell, characterizing which you could say: “Pure as a tear.”

Now we will present several moonshine recipes, each of which will give you excellent results.

Classic strong

Let's start with the traditional and simplest recipe - moonshine based only on yeast and sugar.

Required components:

• water - 4.5 l;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• yeast - 40 gr.

Cooking technology:

• heat the water to 30 degrees;
• add sugar and stir;
• crumble the yeast;
• Place the resulting mash in a warm place for 2 weeks;
• on the 15th day you can begin distillation.

Distillation of moonshine by experienced craftsmen is carried out using a moonshine still. But we will consider the manufacture of pervach based on available means and minimal capabilities. For this:

• take a pan;
• pour the leaven into it;
• prepare a container for collecting alcohol;
• Instead of a lid, place a tight-fitting basin on top of the pan;
• We pour very cold water into the basin, you can add ice and snow, they must be changed periodically so that the water in the basin does not heat up.

The next stage of distillation is cleaning. Alcohol must be purified from fusel oil formed during heating, from residues and primary substances. After the first cleaning it is best re-distill the moonshine. An effective method of cleaning may be preliminary adding potassium permanganate to the starter at the rate of 2 grams per 1 liter, and filtration through gauze folded in several layers.

The drink is ready to drink. This trial step will give you approx. 1 liter of homemade moonshine. Now, knowing the basics of moonshine, having tasted the alcohol and making sure that there is something missing in it, it’s time to learn how to brew moonshine in other ways.

Lactic

Let's prepare the starter for this potion recipe in just 2 hours. The work is complicated by the fact that it is necessary to have an old but working washing machine in the household (not a modern automatic machine, but an activator type). For such a container, we will use a much larger volume of the prepared mixture.

You need to take:

• water - 30 l (three 10 l buckets);
• sugar - 10 kg;
• yeast - 100 g;
• milk - 3 l.

Cooking technique:

• pour all the ingredients into the machine;
• put the unit into operation for 2 hours of continuous operation;
• Defend the resulting leaven (mash).

The next stage of brewing moonshine is distillation of the starter. How to properly remove moonshine from mash - look at the recommendations given when brewing the classic recipe. Since the volume of alcohol produced will be impressive, it is better to use a ready-made moonshine still. But in the absence of it and if you have a lot of free time, you can completely do without it, using the same large saucepan and a bowl of ice water. We carry out cleaning by double or triple distillation and filtering through a fine sieve.

Pea

This option can be prepared using just a day to make mash.

Ingredients:

• granulated sugar - 5 kg;
• warm but not boiling water (approximately 30 degrees) - 15 l;
• yeast - 500 gr;
• peas - 1 kg.

Preparation:

• a mixture is made from sugar, yeast and peas;
• fill with water;
• leave for 24 hours for swelling;
• After a day, the mash is filtered and distilled.

Pervach can already be consumed. But it’s better to clean it and distill it a couple more times. This way you can get high-quality and transparent moonshine.

Potato

Product composition:

• sugar - 5 kg;
• warm water - 25 l;
• yeast - 500 gr;
• bread - 4 loaves of black;
• potatoes - 25 pieces of medium tubers.

Preparation:

• grate potatoes;
• crumble bread;
• mixed with yeast and sugar;
• fill with water and leave for a day.

After purification and distillation, the product can be tasted. Double or triple distillation and purification are recommended.

From jam

Have to take:

• any candied or fermented jam - 3 l;
• warm water (30 degrees) - 15 l;
• yeast - 100 g;
• granulated sugar - 1 kg.

Preparing the mash:

• mix all products;
• leave for a week in a warm place, covering the neck with a glove;
• After straining, you can begin the distillation process.

From the wort

This recipe is suitable for those craftsmen who have mastered the production of homemade alcohol using all of the above methods. It is especially painstaking and time-consuming. The raw materials for the preparation of such alcohol can be flour, grain, or any cereal - this is the basis of the wort. To obtain mash from grain, you need to perform the following steps:

Such mash must be distilled not on fire, but in a water bath. After all, when cooking sourdough over an open fire, the thick mixture (porridge) will simply burn and spoil the taste and color of the future moonshine.

After repeated cleaning and boiling of the pervacha, the finished moonshine should be strained and can be tasted. The resulting drink in such a complex and extraordinary way can be used as an ideal basis for further preparation of cognac or whiskey at home.

We looked at only a few of the simplest recipes for making moonshine at home. When performing them, you should carefully study the recommendations below.

The beauty of homemade alcohol is that it is prepared only from natural products. After all, they make moonshine from almost everything that is at hand.

For this purpose, in addition to sugar, use:

• vegetables;
• berries;
• fruits;
• jam;
• candies.

You can use this universal product as a separate drink (we already know that it is called Sam), or you can make a more noble alcohol from it:

• cognac;
• whiskey;
• liquor.

Homemade moonshine may not work out the first time. Don't despair. Be patient. After gaining the necessary experience, you will be able to brew luxurious alcoholic drinks right in your kitchen.

Attention, TODAY only!