Americans are famous for their love for moonshine from corn. If the drink is produced in the United States, then after two years of aging in new oak barrels charred from the inside, it has the right to be called “bourbon”. To prepare an analogue at home, we use corn grits or flour, sugared with any kind of malt (barley, rye, wheat). This is a classic technology, even in America, bourbon corn is not germinated, since the yield is significantly reduced.
Ingredients:
- corn grits (flour) – 1,5 kg;
- malt – 300 grams;
- water – 7 liters;
- dry yeast – 5 grams (or 25 grams pressed).
The choice between flour and cereals is not fundamental; this does not affect the quality and yield of moonshine. Malt (barley, rye or wheat) is needed for saccharification of corn raw materials – the breakdown of starch into sugars. Nothing will work without malt and corn mash will not ferment, but malt can be replaced with artificial enzymes – amylosubtilin and glucavamorin, which are sold in specialized stores. Theoretically, 1 liters of distillate with a strength of 0,845% can be obtained from 40 kg of raw corn, practical losses are usually 10-15%. Also, the yield will increase slightly due to malt.
Attention! It is very important to observe the temperature regimes indicated in the recipe. I advise you to prepare a thermometer in advance and do not start the cooking process without a measuring device.
Corn mash recipe
1. Heat water to 50°C. It is better to use a water bath, thanks to which the mash (porridge) does not burn, and it will be easier to control the temperature. The principle of operation of this simple structure is shown in the photo.
It is enough to put a large pot on the stove, then place a smaller diameter pot on top, in which the corn mash will be cooked. Pour 6 liters of water into a smaller saucepan, fill a large one with water to 2/3 of the volume.
2. Slowly pour flour (groats) into hot water, stirring constantly. Boil the porridge for 15 minutes at the same temperature, stirring occasionally so that the mixture does not thicken and no lumps appear on the bottom.
3. Raise the temperature to 65°C and maintain for 15 minutes while stirring the porridge.
4. Add 1 liter of water to the mash, heat to 75-80°C, then hold the temperature for 20 minutes. Can be covered with a lid.
5. Prepare malt for application. Crush dry to coarse grains, if green is used, grind in a meat grinder.
6. Cool the mash to 65°C, add malt, mix until smooth. Close the pan with a lid, wrap in an old blanket and put in a warm place for 7 hours. During this time, the mash will saccharify and become sweetish in taste.
7. Dilute yeast according to label instructions.
8. Lower the temperature of the mash to 25-29°C (add cold water or refrigerate the container itself), then add the diluted yeast and mix well.
9. Pour the wort into a fermentation tank, install a water seal on the neck (can be replaced with a medical glove with a hole in the finger). Move the container to a dark place with room temperature (18-30°C).
10. After 3-7 days, the corn mash will become lighter, the water seal will stop letting out gas (the glove will deflate), an alcohol smell and a bitter aftertaste will appear without sweetness. This means that it’s time to do the first distillation.
Getting corn moonshine (bourbon)
11. Filter the mash through cheesecloth to remove large particles that can burn during the distillation process.
12. Distill the mash without fractionation, take the distillate until the strength in the stream drops below 25%. Measure the overall strength of the drink. Determine the amount of pure alcohol (multiply the volume by the fortress and divide by 100).
13. Dilute corn distillate with water to 15-20%, clean with charcoal if desired, then distill again over low heat. The first 12-15% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol should be taken separately, this is a harmful fraction that spoils the quality. Finish collecting corn moonshine when the strength in the jet falls below 45 degrees.
14. Dilute the distillate with water up to 40-45%, pour it into glass containers, close it hermetically and let it stand for 1-2 days before use. The drink has a light sweetish aftertaste, and a subtle aroma of corn grits.
15. To make homemade bourbon, the resulting moonshine from corn must be insisted on oak wood (chips) or in oak barrels for 3-9 months.
