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Moonshine from watermelon … Agree, it sounds rather strange. So I thought that these concepts were not compatible, but when I took a chance and distilled moonshine from this berry, the result exceeded my expectations.
To be honest, when I saw this recipe from my subscriber Anna B., I treated it with some skepticism. But nevertheless, I decided to publish it on Roma, suddenly someone will like it.
Why I chose watermelon as an ingredient
To be honest, I didn’t think of using watermelon myself. The neighbor, who taught how to make moonshine, said that good home-made vodka is obtained from melons. I chose this raw material for several other reasons:
- Firstly, it is sweet, overripe fruits, even cloying. The risk that the mash will turn sour, as from some varieties of apples, is minimal.
- Secondly, the availability of the product. During the season (August-September), watermelons are sold in every grocery store. You don’t even need to choose for a long time, almost all the berries are good, by this time they are already ripening.
- Thirdly, economy. During the season, the price drops sharply.
The cooking process is simple, but for me it is also important.
Watermelon mash
The quality and quantity of moonshine depends on how well the mash is prepared. I don’t like complex processes, because the more steps, the more likely something goes wrong.
I cooked alone and limited myself to a minimum set of mixing equipment:
- knife;
- a spoon;
- wide pelvis;
- flask of 40 liters;
- household gloves.
How to choose the right watermelons
For the preparation of moonshine, any variety of gourds is suitable. Dimensions do not affect the taste and quality of the finished moonshine. I recommend giving preference to overripe berries, they have more sugar.
I cut the watermelons in half and took out the pulp with a spoon into the basin. I did not use a blender for grinding, kneaded everything with my hands.
Fresh fruits contain acids that can corrode the skin, so be sure to ferment the mash with gloves on. Rotten places must be cut out, otherwise the taste of the finished product will be hopelessly spoiled.
It is impossible to say exactly how many fruits will be needed. There is a lot of rot in the berry or a thick peel. On average, you need 5-6 watermelons weighing 5 kg. The task is to fill a 40-liter flask a little less than half with mashed pulp, approximately 17-18 kg of fruit puree.
The process of making mash
On average, a liter of moonshine with a strength of 1-40 degrees is obtained from 45 kg of sugar. One kg of fruit contains 50-100 g of sugar (fructose). I added 17 kg of sugar to a flask with watermelon pulp (18-3 kg), mixed thoroughly.
Watermelon has a lot of water, so you can not add it. The pulp does not contain yeast. For normal fermentation, I add 100 g of dry yeast. They dissolve beautifully. Slowly pour them into a flask and stir thoroughly.
I covered the flask with a lid, but not tightly, put it on a chair in the sun. On average, mash ripens in 5-6 days.
The process has begun: we cook watermelon moonshine
I start checking the readiness of moonshine no earlier than after 4 days. I have my own way: I light a match and slowly bring it to the mash. If the mash is played, the match goes out, won – the match does not go out even if brought close to the liquid mass.
You need to bring a match to check the readiness before mixing the mash!
Drink brewing process:
- I put the flask with the finished wort on the fire and now tightly closed the lid.
- Connected the device, hoses. I cover the junctions of the apparatus and the flask with dough: I dilute the flour with water to the consistency of plasticine. The putty will dry out from the temperature and the “valuable” vapors will not be able to come out.
- Check if the hoses are tight.
I set up a jar, on medium heat it starts to drip somewhere after 2 hours.
Received moonshine
I check the strength of the resulting product with an alcohol meter. The first 1,5 liters go 70 degrees, further down. I turn off the gas when the fortress reaches 30 °. I pour the contents of all cans into a bucket and mix. I pour it into containers and send it to a closet for storage.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
Here is such a moonshine turned out by Anna. Agree, a rather unusual choice of raw materials for moonshine? That’s why I decided to share her recipe with you. I have not tried it myself, but if you repeat, then write what you did. It’s interesting.