An exotic distillate with an original smell and subtle notes of raw materials on the palate. Feijoa moonshine can be made from homemade or purchased fruits that are not suitable for sale (substandard). We will consider the correct mash recipe and distillation technology.
Theory
The sugar content in ripe feijoa is 6-10%. This means that from 1 kg of fruit you can get a maximum of 120 ml of moonshine with a strength of 40%, but in practice the yield will be 10-20% lower. To increase the amount of distillate, you will have to add beet sugar – 1 kg additionally gives 1,1-1,2 liters (40%). But the more sugar, the less the original aroma and taste of the drink is felt. We have to look for the golden mean.
On alcohol, dry or baker’s yeast, feijoa mash will be ready in 5-8 days, but artificial yeast noticeably worsens the smell of moonshine. It is better to use raisin sourdough or wine yeast (the best option), however, the fermentation period will increase several times – up to 25-35 days.
Ingredients:
- feijoa fruits – 1 kg;
- sugar – 0,5-2 kg (optional);
- water – 2 liters (and another 4 liters for each kilogram of sugar);
- raisin sourdough or yeast – 20 grams dry (100 grams pressed).
Feijoa mash recipe
1. Wash the feijoa fruits, cut out the spoiled (blackened), rotten and moldy parts. Cut the pulp together with the peel into pieces, then chop with a meat grinder or blender until smooth.
If there is a steamer in the moonshine, 25-50 grams of fruit can be frozen in the refrigerator, and during the second distillation, add to the dryer for additional flavoring of the distillate.
2. Shredded feijoa placed in a fermentation tank. Add water and sugar (optional). Add yeast or sourdough diluted according to package instructions. Mix. It is advisable to leave a minimum of 25% free space in the container for the release of foam and carbon dioxide.
3. Install a water seal on the neck of the container (you can use a medical glove with a hole in one of the fingers). Check the tightness of the structure.
4. Transfer the feijoa mash to a dark place (or cover) with a temperature of 18-28°C. Depending on the yeast used, the amount of sugar and temperature, fermentation lasts 5-35 days.
The end of the process is indicated by the absence of gas release from the water seal (the glove has deflated), the wort is clarified, a layer of sediment at the bottom, the mash becomes slightly bitter without signs of sweetness (the main symptom).
Getting moonshine from feijoa
5. Filter the washed mash through several layers of gauze or a dense cloth, squeezing the cake well. If you do not filter, the pulp will burn during heating.
6. Overtake the mash for the first time at maximum speed without separation into fractions. End selection when yield drops below 25%.
7. Measure the total strength of the resulting distillate, determine the amount of absolute alcohol: multiply the volume in liters by the percentage of strength and divide by 100.
8. Moonshine from feijoa of the first distillation dilute with water up to 18-20%, do not clean with coal or other methods so that a characteristic smell remains.
9. Make a second distillation. Collect the first 12-15% of the yield of pure alcohol separately. This is a harmful fraction (“head”), which should not be drunk.
10. Put the frozen pulp in a steamer (optional). Collect the main fraction (“body”) until the strength in the jet drops below 40%. Finish the distillation or collect the “tail” separately.
11. Dilute the finished feijoa moonshine with water to the desired strength (usually 40-45%). Pour into a glass container and seal tightly. To improve the aroma and taste, keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days before use to complete the chemical reactions of mixing with water.
