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If the jam is stored for more than a year, its taste deteriorates. And sometimes it’s just sugared. However, it is a pity to throw away such a product. From jam, which did not have time to eat on time, you can make excellent moonshine – tasty and fragrant.
This is how my friend Ivan N., a specialist in moonshining and just a good person, began his story.
Necessary ingredients
Any jam is suitable for mash. And if it’s sugared, it’s even better. True, in this case, it will take longer to dissolve it in water. If it is important for you that the aroma of the drink be recognizable, it is better to use one type of jam. But even from a mixture of different varieties, you can create a sort of interesting “blend”.
Important. Even slightly moldy jam is unacceptable for mash. During distillation, mold fungi may die, but the taste of the drink will change and the moonshine will be spoiled.
In addition to jam, you will need yeast, water and, possibly, sugar to make mash.
Water is better to use neutral – not acidic and not alkaline. The indicator of the content of hydrogen atoms in such water pH=7,0. But this is distilled water and it does not occur in nature. You can use water with a lower indicator – it is rich in oxygen and does not contain alkaline salts.
The pH value is measured using a device.
If this is not the case, then you can use bottled water from the store (non-carbonated), tap water after daily settling, well water. Yeast for mash is preferable to dry baker’s yeast – it is easier to measure it to get the right dosage. But you can also use live yeast. Sugar may be required to achieve optimum solution density.
Proportions
To achieve the optimal strength of the mash, you need to carefully observe the proportions when laying the ingredients. In the “correct” mash, sugar should ferment completely and at the same time the strength of the solution will be maximum – 12% vol. It is at this alcohol content that the yeast dies. The ideal proportions for regular sugar wort are:
- sugar – 1 kg;
- dry baker’s yeast – 20 g, if live – 100 g;
- water – 5 l.
But the fact is that sugar is contained in jam in an amount of about 0,6 kg per liter. This value depends on how sweet they were going to make the dessert during cooking. Different fruits and berries also affect the sugar content of the jam.
Approximately the wort content can be corrected if 1 kg of jam is used instead of 1,7 kg of sugar in the composition given above. But exact proportions can be achieved by measuring the density of the solution. The sugar content should be 25%. This value can be measured with a sugar meter.
Important. It is necessary to measure the density at a temperature of 20 ± 3 ° C, since a cold solution has a higher density, and a warm solution has a lower one.
If the density is below normal, the mash will be weak and there will be little moonshine during distillation. If the density is too high, then the sugar will not ferment completely and will remain in the mash, that is, it will simply be overused.
How to put the braga correctly
To obtain high-quality mash, products must be laid in a certain sequence:
- Syrup preparation. The jam is stirred in water until all the lumps of sugar are completely dissolved. After that, the syrup must be filtered through a sieve or cheesecloth.
- Adjustment of the composition of the syrup. The density is measured, and depending on its value, sugar or water is added.
- Heating syrup. Its temperature should be in the range of 20-30°C. At low temperatures, fermentation will not start, and at high temperatures, the yeast will die.
- Yeast activation. To do this, you need to measure the required amount and pour it into sweetened water heated to 30 ° C. After 5-7 minutes, the trembling will rise with a magnificent hat.
- Introducing yeast into the wort.
I do not recommend filling the fermentation tank by more than 2/3, as there will be a lot of foam and it can even clog the holes for the release of carbon dioxide in the water seal. I’ll tell you how I do it.
I fill the container only ½ of the volume, and I enter the amount of yeast, as in 2/3. Fermentation turns out to be rough, but after a couple of days the activity subsides, and the foam subsides. That’s when I carefully pour in the rest of the syrup.
If, nevertheless, there is a lot of foam, you can “repay” it by scattering dry cookie crumbs on the surface or spilling a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. After this, the mash should roam calmly.
How to determine the readiness of mash for distillation
Usually, fermentation takes about a week, but the jam from the jam can “walk” for longer. When all the sugar has fermented and the wort reaches the maximum strength – 12% vol., Gas bubbles will stop escaping through the water seal. Then it is necessary to filter the mash and distill it. But in some cases, fermentation may stop earlier:
- the temperature of the mash dropped and fermentation stopped;
- the temperature was above normal and the yeast died;
- air got into the mash and it turned sour.
In the first case, it is enough to set the required temperature and bring the mash to readiness.
In the second, after the temperature stabilizes, you can “plant” fresh yeast and again wait for the end of fermentation.
In the third case, it is better not to distill the mash. As sad as it was, she was gone. However, it can be filtered out and used in place of vinegar when cooking meat, fish, or poultry. This is an excellent marinade.
When distilling, it is imperative to select the “heads” – the initial fraction containing methanol. Its amount is approximately 10% of the expected distillate yield.
By increasing or decreasing the distillation temperature, you can increase or decrease the strength at the outlet. When distilling fruit, berry or moonshine put into jam, I try to keep no more than 60 – 65. Then the moonshine turns out to be fragrant.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
Nevertheless, after observing many times, I still didn’t understand why the jam from jam ferments much more actively than sugar, and the duration of the process is longer, but the amount of moonshine is almost the same in both cases. If you have any thoughts, I would be interested to know them.