Braga from pumpkin for moonshine

Pumpkin is grown everywhere, it contains enough sugars to use the vegetable for making distillate at home. Starch in the composition speeds up the fermentation process. Pumpkin moonshine is soft, with a delicate aroma. Subject to the technology of production and distillation, a fairly high strength.

How to make pumpkin moonshine at home

To make moonshine, you need to stock up on pumpkin, sugar and yeast. Pumpkin is recommended to use table varieties, because there are more sugars in it than in fodder. Muscat varieties are suitable, the distillate at the exit will have a banana aftertaste. Raw material requirement:

1. Fully ripe vegetables.
2. Without mechanical damage and signs of decay.
3. To prepare the product, they take a pumpkin that lay 30 days after harvest, it has a higher concentration of starch than just picked one, and a minimum amount of pectin.

The substance is toxic to the body. Therefore, the longer the pumpkin is aged, the purer the moonshine from it. Preparatory work before cooking:

1. Vegetables are washed under running water.
2. Divided into 2 parts.
3. The seeds are harvested along with the seed chambers.
4. Cut into pieces, about 15 cm wide.
5. Placed in a container.
6. Pour in water so that the liquid slightly covers the pieces.
7. Put on fire to boil.

Boil the pumpkin until fully cooked, it should be soft and easily separated from the peel. Approximate cooking time is about 1 hour. After readiness, the container is removed from the fire, the raw materials are allowed to cool to room temperature. In any recipe for pumpkin moonshine, distillate is obtained only from mash.

Pumpkin mash recipes

There are several ways to prepare mash, you can use sugar or not, pre-prepare malt or without it. As a rule, sugar is added. If you use only one pumpkin, you will get less moonshine, with a slight strength. In the process of hydrolysis, alcohol is synthesized from the interaction of sugar with yeast, the strength of the drink depends entirely on the amount of glucose.

With sugar

To make pumpkin mash at home, you will need:

• pumpkin – 10 kg;
• yeast – 50 g;
• water – 7 l;
• sugar – 3 kg.

Technology of preparation:

1. Cooked pieces of pumpkin are taken out of the container.
2. The water left after cooking will go to the mash.
3. The pieces are placed in a colander or sieve.
4. Knead, remove the peel, grind.
5. The result is a homogeneous yellow mass.
6. Raw materials are placed in a fermentation tank.
7. Sugar is put in the broth, heated to a temperature of +30⁰ C, dissolve.
8. Add to fermentation container.
9. Dry yeast is pre-filled with water, when they swell, add to the mash.

A water seal is installed on the container, put in a warm room.

The fermentation process lasts 4-7 days, depending on the amount of raw materials and air temperature. The end of fermentation is determined by the sediment at the bottom and the cessation of carbon dioxide emission. The strength can be checked with an alcohol meter. If the product is ready, the indicator will be about 11,5⁰.

Raw materials can be prepared by squeezing pumpkin juice. It is not boiled, but squeezed, then mixed with cake and put on the mash using the same technology as the cooked one.

Sugarless

To get an alcoholic drink from pumpkin without adding sugar, you will need:

• dessert beets with a high concentration of starch – 10 kg;
• water – 10 l;
• barley malt – 150 g;
• Yeast – 50

Malt can be replaced with glucamorin or amylosubtilin at the same dosage.

Method of preparation:

1. Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin.
2. Grind in a meat grinder.
3. Pumpkin mass is combined with water.
4. Boil for 1 hour.
5. Remove from heat, let cool to 55⁰ C.
6. Add malt.
7. Wrap a container with raw materials, insist 2,5 hours.
8. Allow the mass to cool to room temperature, add yeast.

Pour pumpkin mash into a fermentation tank, install a water seal. The process will be less intense than with sugar, and longer – within 2 weeks. After the process is completed, the pumpkin billet for moonshine is filtered and distilled 2 times. The output will be within 3 l 30⁰ distillate.

With added malt

To maximize the use of sugars in the composition of the pumpkin, the maximum breakdown of starch is recommended, for this purpose malt is used, taken from any cereals intended for brewing.

Recipe composition:

• pumpkin – 10 kg;
• yeast – 50 g;
• malt – 100 g;
• water – 10 l.

To prepare mash, you need boiled pumpkin and water after cooking.

Algorithm of action:

1. The pumpkin is separated from the peel, using a blender, brought to a state of homogeneous mass.
2. Cool down to 55⁰ C, introduce malt.
3. Wrap the container, stand for 2 hours.
4. Add water, mix well.
5. Pumpkin raw materials are poured into a fermentation vessel, yeast is added, and a shutter is placed.

You can add or omit sugar in this recipe. If the decision is made in favor of sugar, 3 kg will be needed. It is pre-dissolved in water. Instead of natural malt, enzymes can be used, the dosage is calculated according to the instructions.

Distillation of pumpkin moonshine

Making moonshine on a pumpkin according to any recipe requires 2 distillations. For the best quality of the product at the exit, it is advisable to strain the mash. There are ways when sediment and pulp are used during distillation, placing them in the apparatus so that they do not touch the day. But this is not necessary, the method will not add strength and the amount of moonshine, in the end.

Strained mash is poured into the tank of the apparatus, distilled until there is 30⁰. Then the remaining raw materials are thrown away and the distillate is distilled again. You can add water to the raw material to make a liquid 25⁰, or distill it undiluted.

Pumpkin moonshine is distilled at a low temperature, by drip method, the first 10% of the total volume of alcohol is removed. It is not suitable for consumption, it has a high content of methanol – this is industrial alcohol. Take liquid not lower than 40⁰. As a result, 3 liter of the finished product should be obtained from 1 kg of pumpkin. Moonshine strength – within 80⁰. The second stage is diluted with water up to 40-45⁰ and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. As a result, pumpkin moonshine is transparent in color, soft, with the taste and smell of honey and melon. It can be used in its pure form or make all kinds of tinctures.

Secrets of making pumpkin tincture

There are enough recipes for pumpkin tinctures to choose the right one. Moonshine, vodka, rum with the addition of all kinds of spices are taken as the basis. Pumpkin contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals useful for the body. As part of the tincture, they are completely preserved, because the pumpkin is taken fresh, dessert or table varieties. The color of the tincture or liquor will depend on the color of the pulp. A prerequisite when choosing a pumpkin is that it must be ripe, with no signs of mold or rot.

Tincture of pumpkin seeds on vodka

Tincture on pumpkin seeds is made on moonshine or vodka, used as a remedy for helminths, to cleanse blood vessels, get rid of alcohol addiction. Cooking sequence:

1. Seeds of ripe pumpkin are pre-harvested.
2. Dry to completely evaporate moisture.
3. They are sorted out after drying so that there are no low-quality raw materials.
4. Grind to a powder state together with a hard shell.

For tincture you will need:

• pumpkin seeds – 100 g;
• vodka or moonshine – 0,5 l;
• bay leaf infusion – 50 ml.

Infusion on the bay leaf is made at the rate of 4 leaves per 50 ml of boiling water. Brewed in a thermos, insist day.

The product on pumpkin seeds is poured into an opaque container, placed in a cool place for a week. Drink on an empty stomach for 30 g.

Pumpkin tincture on vodka with honey

Recipe Ingredients:

• pumpkin – 0,5 kg;
• Honey – 100 g;
• moonshine or vodka – 0,5 l;

Preparation:

1. Pumpkin pulp (without seeds and peel) is crushed to a state of homogeneous mass.
2. An alcohol base is added, poured into an opaque bottle, corked.
3. Put for 14 days in a dark place, shake occasionally.
4. Filter the liquid, discard the residue.
5. Honey is heated to a liquid state, added to the tincture.

Cleaned for 10 days, do not shake. Then, gently decant with a straw, the sediment is discarded, put in the refrigerator for 3 days to stabilize the taste.

Pumpkin tincture on moonshine or vodka with the addition of honey turns out to be light amber in color, with the smell of honey, sweet in taste.

Delicious pumpkin liqueur

To make liqueur you will need:

• moonshine or vodka – 0,5 l;
• pumpkin pulp – kg 0,5;
• sugar – 100 g;
• water – 100 ml;
• nutmeg – 20 g.

Step-by-step recipe:

1. Pumpkin pulp is crushed to a puree state
2. Mixed with alcohol.
3. Set to infuse for 5 days.
4. Filter.
5. Prepare syrup (water + sugar).
6. Nutmeg is added to the syrup.
7. Mixed with pumpkin tincture.

Remove to infuse for 15 days in an unlit place. Then re-filtered. The pumpkin liqueur will be ready in 45 days.

The original pumpkin rum liqueur recipe

To prepare pumpkin liqueur on rum, take:

• homogeneous mass of boiled pumpkin – 400 g;
• rum – 0,5 l;
• cane sugar – 300 g;
• cloves – 6 seeds;
• cinnamon – 6 pcs.;
• vanillin – 1 sachet;
• water – 0,4 l.

Preparation of pumpkin tincture:

1. Water is poured into a container, sugar is poured, syrup is prepared over low heat.
2. Add the pumpkin mass and cook, stirring constantly for 10 minutes.
3. Put all the ingredients according to the recipe.
4. Boil 30 min.

Take the mixture off the fire, let it cool. Then the residue is filtered through cheesecloth and squeezed out. Add rum. Pour into a bottle, insist 3 weeks.

Fragrant pumpkin tincture with cinnamon and vanilla

A pumpkin product infused with moonshine with spices is a dessert drink. It has a light tart aroma, mild taste and amber color.

Recipe composition:

• pumpkin pulp – kg 0,5;
• moonshine – 0,5 l;
• sugar – 100 g;
• water – 100 ml;
• vanilla – 10 g;
• cinnamon – 10 g.

 Preparation:

1. The pumpkin is passed through a meat grinder.
2. Place in a container, add moonshine.
3. Hermetically sealed, insist 10 days.
4. The drink is filtered, the precipitate is discarded.
5. Syrup is prepared, spices are introduced.
6. The cooled mass is mixed with pumpkin tincture.

Withstand 15 days, carefully drained so as not to affect the sediment. Put in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Spicy pumpkin tincture with spices

This version of the pumpkin drink is one of the most refined and most expensive. Constituent components:

• Hokkaido pumpkin – 0,5 kg;
• cognac (vodka, moonshine) – 0,7 l;
• cardamom seed – 2 pcs.;
• anise – 1 pc.;
• white allspice – 2 peas;
• saffron – 5 g;
• sugar – 0,5 kg;
• zest – 1 lemon;
• ginger (fresh) – 25 g;
• cloves – 3 pcs.;
• cinnamon – 1 stick;
• vanilla – 10 g;
• nutmeg – 20 years

Preparation of pumpkin tincture:

1. The pumpkin is cut with the peel into small squares.
2. Placed in a non-metallic container, ceramic or glassware is suitable.
3. Add all ingredients except sugar.
4. Pour cognac, close tightly.
5. Withstand 21 days.
6. Drain the liquid, put it in the refrigerator.
7. The rest of the mass is covered with sugar.
8. Insist 25 days, periodically shaken.
9. The resulting liquid is carefully drained and mixed with cognac from the refrigerator.

Withstand 14 days, filtered, bottled, tightly closed.

How to store pumpkin tincture

The composition of pumpkin tincture contains alcohol, this component increases the shelf life of the product. The drink is stored for 6-8 months in the basement or in the refrigerator. A prerequisite is an opaque container and the absence of lighting. After the expiration date, pumpkin tincture may become cloudy, lose its taste and smell.

Conclusion

Pumpkin moonshine has a mild taste and pleasant aroma. It can be easily made at home. Suitable for consumption in its pure form, it serves as the basis for the preparation of pumpkin drinks with a diverse set of ingredients. Moderate consumption is not harmful to health.