Not all moonshiners have the opportunity to buy or keep an oak barrel for aging alcoholic beverages. This problem is solved by insisting the distillate on the pharmacy oak bark or specially made wood chips that imitate the soaking and firing of the barrel. We will consider both options.
Any grain, fruit or sugar moonshine is suitable for infusion. The tannins contained in the bark and wood, upon contact with ethyl alcohol, turn into environmentally friendly substances that change for the better the color, taste and smell of even ordinary moonshine. Depending on the characteristics of the tree and the aging time, notes of fruits, vanilla, flowers, and chocolate appear in the drink.
Moonshine on oak bark
A simple and quick way to improve distillate, which does not require large time and material costs. It turns out a soft tincture with a characteristic smell of cognac.
Ingredients:
- moonshine (45-50%) – 3 liters;
- oak bark – 3 tablespoons;
- honey – 1 tablespoon;
- carnation – 5 buds;
- allspice – 10 peas;
- St. John’s wort – 1 tablespoon;
- oregano – 1 tablespoon;
- vanillin and coriander – on the tip of a knife.
You can insist moonshine only on oak (bark), without adding the rest of the ingredients. But then the taste will be harsh, and the smell will be too strong. I advise you to buy bark and other herbs in a pharmacy, where the quality is at least somehow controlled.
Recipe
1. Put spices and oak bark in a glass container, pour moonshine, mix well and close the lid tightly.
2. Infuse for 14-16 days in a dark place at room temperature, shake every 3-4 days.
3. Filter the tincture through gauze and a cotton filter. For full transparency, 3-4 filtrations may be needed. Then pour into bottles for storage, seal tightly with corks.
4. Before use, stand ready-made oak moonshine for 10-12 days, then the taste will noticeably improve.
Moonshine on oak wood (chips)
A more successful imitation of aging distillate in barrels than the first method, but requires careful preliminary preparation and long infusion. First, the wood must be freed from excess tannins that spoil the taste. This is done by soaking followed by heat treatment.
Chip harvesting technology
1. Cut a dry log without bark into pegs 2 × 2 cm and up to 10 cm long (approximate dimensions).
2. Soak the resulting chips in cold water for a day, changing the water every 8 hours.
3. Pour soaked oak pegs with an aqueous solution of soda (1 tablespoon of soda per 5 liters of water) and leave for 6 hours.
4. Drain the solution, rinse the chips well under running water.
5. Put the pieces in a saucepan, add water, bring to a boil and simmer for 45-50 minutes over low heat.
6. Drain the decoction and rinse the wood again with cold water.
7. Dry the chips in the air (preferably in the attic) until completely dry (at least two days).
8. Put the pieces on a baking sheet and put in a preheated oven (140-160 ° C) for 2 hours until a slight blush appears.
9. Store the finished wood chips in a dry, warm place (should not get damp).
Oak wood can be replaced with apple or cherry wood. The technique for obtaining chips does not change.
Infusion
1. Fry the previously prepared wood chips on the grill of the oven or microwave. Notes of smell and taste depend on the degree of roasting. Light roasting (at the moment the first smoke appears) gives the drink a subtle hint of vanilla, fruits and flowers. Medium firing (smoke and smell appears) introduces the aroma of coconut, caramel, almonds, spices. Heavy toasting (the wood has begun to change color) saturates the moonshine with a smoky taste with chocolate undertones (like Scotch whiskey).
During the roasting process, the main thing is not to burn the chips. For the first time, I advise you to practice on a small amount so as not to spoil all the wood.
2. Add oak chips to moonshine (45-50%) at the rate of 20-30 grams per liter and tightly close the lid. Insist in a dark cool place for 3-6 months (on average). Gradually the color will change. Take a sample every week, controlling the organoleptic properties of the drink. The duration of exposure depends on the properties of the selected wood and your preferences in taste and aroma, sometimes even 15 days is enough.
3. Drain moonshine infused with oak into another container. If necessary, filter through cheesecloth. Before use, keep for 3-5 days in a dark, cool place to stabilize the taste.
PS Many online stores sell ready-made oak chips in various degrees of roasting, eliminating the need to get wood and make chips at home.
