I ran into cognac diluted with water in Sochi, decided upon arrival home to make my own on oak chips: what happened in the end

Once, while relaxing in Loo, near Sochi, I decided to buy local cognac. Sellers assure that this is real cognac, only in bottling.

Someone says that these are stolen factory products and so on. However, the taxi driver honestly said that there were no cognacs here, it was just diluted and shamanized alcohol.

Then I decided to buy chacha. The choice was huge – chacha on kiwi, on apricots, on something else. And only one old Georgian grandfather honestly said that real chacha, like good wine in the Caucasus, can be drunk only if a friend pours it.

Everything else is a fake, diluted alcohol, tinted with chemicals and stuffed with flavorings – if you want, with the smell of pomegranate, if you want – at least the morning dawn …

And he also told me that they also make moonshine from everything there, because there is not enough grapes not only for all vacationers, but not enough for themselves. Grape real chacha is a rarity. A cognac drink is also made from it, and everything else is nonsense for tourists.

This story was sent by my subscriber Oleg.

How I decided to make cognac

Returning home, I realized that even expensive cognacs have recently come across to me lousy. Much better is my moonshine and homemade cognac, because of which I practically stopped drinking store-bought. And even if there are no oak barrels, you can still make quite decent strong alcohol.

So I decided that if you really bother, then only with grapes. Since then, I have never “ennobled” sugar moonshine, but only the one made from grape raw materials.

No, of course, I also drive ordinary moonshine of double distillation (otherwise there will be fusel oils), but only grapes go into homemade cognac. Fortunately, I have enough for myself.

What you need for homemade cognac

To get a good cognac, I take high-quality purified moonshine. Empirically, I realized that milk and other nonsense are of dubious effectiveness.

Fortress on cognac 40-45 degrees. You also need oak chips – this is if, like me, there is no barrel and you need to imitate the infusion process. Wood chips add astringency due to tannins, give color and aroma.

I also put vanillin – this is optional, but it also enriches the bouquet great.

The cooking process

It has several stages. I start with chipping.

It’s easier, of course, to buy ready-made oak chips, but I myself prepare logs, peel the bark, chop on wood chips, urinate in water for about a day, and then soak in a weak soda solution during the day, rinse and boil over low heat for an hour.

Important! If the oak is poorly soaked, it will contain a lot of tannins. Therefore, do not forget to change the water every 2 hours, you can even warm it up a little.

Wood chips drying. Generally dried in a suspended form, but I just lay out in the attic, where it’s hot. After a day, I put it on a baking sheet and in the oven, on medium heat. Roasting gives color, so the more you roast, the darker the drink. The taste also changes.

Infusion

About 30 g of finished wood chips go to a three-liter jar. I pour moonshine, put a small vanilla pod or powder on the tip of a knife, roll up the lid and put it in a dark place. Endurance – how long can you endure. I had a few months maximum.

Advice! Many put thyme, lemon peel, cardamom and other seasonings in moonshine. I am not a supporter – if the raw grape, then all the extra kills the natural flavor. A small vanilla pod is enough!

With the result that

Not forgetting to periodically shake the moonshine, I reach bottling. I clog.

I’m trying. At the exit, instead of the starting fortress of 45 degrees, I find a little less – this is due to wood chips. Quite a good drink, fragrant, tastes similar to real cognac. I pour it into a suitable container, many do not distinguish.

In general, the process is rather dreary, slow, but interesting. Have any of you insisted on homemade cognac? What was the maximum you could handle?