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Recently a friend invited me over and started bragging about expensive American whiskey. He spent a fairly immodest amount of 5000 rubles on a bottle and was very proud of himself.
After tasting an imported drink, I did not share my friend’s enthusiasm and said that my homemade bourbon was in no way inferior to American whiskey in taste.
The story was shared by blog subscriber Eugene.
My homemade bourbon. The bottle is unaesthetic, but the taste of the drink is not inferior to an expensive store
What ingredients and equipment will be needed
To make an excellent homemade bourbon, you will need the following ingredients:
- crushed corn (or corn grits) – 2,4 kilograms;
- filtered water – 9 liters;
- yeast (I use hoppy “Krasnoyarsk”) – 2,5 grams per 10 liters of base;
- enzymes glucavamarin and amylosubtilin – 2 grams per kilogram of corn grits.
Glucavamarin and amylosubtilin are difficult to find in regular stores. Before preparing the next collection of bourbon, I order enzymes on the Internet. The price ranges from 60-80 rubles per pack.
Essential Ingredients for Homemade Bourbon
To make bourbon at home, you will need a 10-12 liter saucepan or a large cauldron. You will also need a ladle for stirring and gauze. The main attribute is the fermentation tank. Oh, and a moonshine.
The cooking process
To begin with, I pour water into a deep pan or cauldron, heat it to 40 °. After that, I slowly fall asleep ground corn. I leave the corn grits to cook so that it swells. The result is a porridge that contains the amount of starch necessary to make bourbon.
Corn porridge should not be too thick. Otherwise, you will not be able to get a quality drink. If the consistency is too thick, add a small amount of hot water.
Bourbon making in full swing
I turn off the gas, close the pan tightly with a lid. From above I always cover with something warm, you can even with a jacket. I cool down to a temperature of 65 °. It is with her that the necessary amount of starch will stand out in the porridge and it will be possible to make mash from it.
Next, you need the first enzyme – amylosubtilin. I add quite a bit of warm water to the porridge and pour amylosubtilin on top (as indicated above, at the rate of 2 grams of enzyme per 1 kilogram of slurry).
I mix. The substance will instantly become liquid. In the same proportion, I then add the second enzyme and stir again. The saccharification process will begin, which will last no more than 4 hours.
I cool the mixture to 40 °. According to the instructions on the package of yeast, I add them to the general composition. Approximately 2,5 grams per 10 liters of liquid base. Mix and put in a fermentation container. Braga is filtered through gauze, then the standard distillation process.
What will be the result
The color of homemade bourbon on corn is no different from elite whiskey. The taste is soft, but with a slight hint of astringency. Additionally, there is a woody tint. Light oak flavor makes the drink even more refined.
The corn grits add a sweetish flavor to the popcorn. A non-standard zest for strong moonshine, which attracted me.
My homemade bourbon is indistinguishable from expensive whiskey
At cost, homemade bourbon does not hit the budget much. I paid about 200 rubles for corn. The required amount of yeast is within 100 rubles. Enzymes are inexpensive.
For glucavamarin I paid 44 rubles (packing), for amylosubtilin – 89 rubles. 500 rubles for 11 liters of excellent bourbon is an acceptable cost for high-quality home-made alcohol.
How to serve and with what to use
Serve in whiskey or cognac glasses. For bourbon, the classic American tradition is relevant – to drink it with chilled Cola or soda. But I refrain, because such an addition does not allow me to fully enjoy my work.
But the bourbon is a must. An appetizer will lower the degree a little and soften the astringency of the bourbon. Cheese slices, salmon slices, thinly sliced uXNUMXbuXNUMXbsausage pieces are suitable.
The ideal appetizer for homemade bourdon is fruits and berries. A slice of lemon will well shade the taste of the drink. An interesting flavor combination is corn moonshine with melon.
The best taste of homemade bourbon – without mixing it with sparkling waters
I’ve been making homemade bourbon following this recipe for several years. But I already want to experiment, so it will be interesting to read your secrets of making a noble drink.