In our realities, pineapple moonshine is made from substandard raw materials that are not suitable for sale. With the right approach, the output is an excellent distillate with a slight smell of fruits. We will consider a cooking technology that allows you to squeeze the maximum aroma out of such a valuable product, but maintain a mild taste.
Theory
The sugar content of ripe pineapples is up to 15%. This means that with 1 kg of pulp you can get a maximum of 165 ml of pure pineapple moonshine with a strength of 40%. Given the high cost of raw materials, in most cases the yield is increased by adding beet sugar (1 kg gives 1,1-1,2 liters of 40% distillate). But the more sugar, the weaker the flavor, I advise you to stick to the proportions in the recipe.
On bakery dry or pressed yeast, mash will win back in 4-7 days, but the smell of moonshine will worsen. Fermentation with wine yeast or raisin sourdough lasts many times longer – 25-50 days, but the aroma is completely preserved. If you have time, I advise you to use sourdough (make 3-4 days before working with pineapples) or wine yeast (the best option).
Ingredients:
- pineapples – 2 kg;
- sugar – 0,5-1 kg (optional);
- water – 5 liters and another 4 liters for each kilogram of sugar;
- yeast – 20 grams dry (100 grams pressed) or sourdough.
In the case of pineapples, more water is required than for other fruit brews, since the acidity of the must must be reduced.
Pineapple brew recipe
1. Keep the fruits in the cold (in the freezer) for 3-4 days to destroy acids that interfere with fermentation.
2. Defrost pineapples. Cut off the top and bottom parts, due to which moonshine can be bitter.
3. Peel the fruit from the peel, removing the top layer to a smooth pulp. Cut out the rotten parts.
4. Cut the pineapple pulp into slices, then chop with a meat grinder or mixer.
If the moonshine is with a steamer, 100-150 grams of pulp can be frozen in the refrigerator to be used during distillation to flavor the distillate.
5. Place the resulting slurry in a fermentation tank.
6. Pour in sugar, mix. Leave for 45-60 minutes (no longer, otherwise it will start to turn sour) for better juice extraction. In the case of preparing pineapple mash without sugar, skip this step.
7. Add water and yeast (sourdough). It is desirable to leave at least 25% free space for foam in the container.
8. Stir the mash. Install a water seal on the neck of the fermentation tank (can be replaced with a medical glove with a hole in one of the fingers).
9. Move the container to a dark room (or cover) with a stable temperature of 18-28°C. Depending on the selected yeast, the amount of sugar and temperature, the fermentation of pineapple mash lasts 4-50 days. Signs of readiness: the release of gas from the water lock has stopped, the mash has brightened, sediment has fallen at the bottom, sweetness is not felt in the taste, but only a slight bitterness.
Getting pineapple moonshine
10. Filter the washed mash through gauze or a dense cloth to remove particles of pulp that can burn during distillation. Press the pulp well.
11. Pour the mash into the cube of the moonshine still. Overtake the first time without division into fractions. Finish selection when the strength in the jet falls below 25 degrees.
12. Measure the total strength of the distillate. Determine the amount of absolute alcohol: multiply the volume in liters by the percentage of strength and divide by 100. Dilute pineapple moonshine with water to 18-20%, do not clean with coal and other methods, otherwise the smell will disappear.
13. Make a second distillation. The first 12-15% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol is collected separately and poured. This harmful faction is called the “head”.
If the design allows, put the peeled pineapple frozen at the 4th stage into the steamer (you can not defrost it first).
14. Withdraw the main product (“body”) until the strength in the jet falls below 40%, then finish the distillation or collect the remaining distillate (“tails”) separately.
15. Dilute the resulting pineapple moonshine with water to the desired strength. Pour into a glass container, close tightly. Before tasting, leave for 2-3 days in a dark, cool place to stabilize the taste after mixing with water.
