Even under the same conditions (amount of water, one brand of yeast, stable temperature), the yield of moonshine from sugar can differ significantly from the theoretical maximum – 1,2 liters of 1% distillate from 97,5 kg of raw materials. It’s all about the quality of sugar for mash – the concentration of sucrose (glucose + fructose), which should be at least XNUMX%. Unscrupulous manufacturers mix in artificial sweeteners that give sweetness, but are useless to the moonshiner because the yeast does not process these substances into alcohol.
In moonshine brewing, two types of sugar are mainly used: beet and cane. There is no fundamental difference between them, because after cleaning they should be approximately the same in composition – a maximum of 0,3% of other impurities is allowed. The remaining 2,2% (the difference between the sum of 97,5% sucrose and 0,3% other substances minus 100%) is taken to moisture.
Cane sugar is sometimes used to make homemade rum, but it is better to take cane molasses, as is done in the classical production technology, since almost nothing of the cane remains in the sugar after cleaning and the aroma is very weak.
The form of release of sugar also does not matter. It is easier to work with granulated sugar – it dissolves faster in water and is often cheaper. The only advantage of refined sugar is its purity – up to 0,1% impurities. True, the difference between 0,3% and 0,1% is too small and does not affect the quality of moonshine, so it can be neglected, but it is more difficult to dissolve refined sugar – it is advisable to heat the water to obtain a homogeneous syrup.
How to choose sugar for mash
1. Composition. It is important to read the label, the composition should not contain sweeteners: aspartame (E951), saccharin (E954), sorbitol (E420) and other complex names starting with the letter “E”. These synthetic substitutes are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, but no alcohol is processed at all. The less other substances, for example, anti-caking agents (prevent sugar from clumping), the better, since it is not known how these additives will behave in contact with alcohol and when the mash is boiled. Impurities can cause a specific odor or taste in the distillate.
After dissolving sugar in water, the solution should remain clear and without sediment. This is an effective method for checking for the absence of the simplest additives: chalk, lime, sand, alabaster and gypsum. Chemicals cannot be detected this way, they dissolve imperceptibly. If bubbles, foam or a film appear on the surface of the syrup, then there are too many bleaching and / or surfactants in the sugar, and sulfur dioxide residues are also possible.
2. Release form. It has been noted that sugar in bags is often of better quality than packaged in bags with a beautiful label. If possible, it is better to buy sugar in bags directly from sugar factories. Of course, this is not a guarantee, because everything depends on the conscientiousness of the manufacturer, but there is less risk that the intermediary will mix something into the product during storage and packaging.
There is one problem with bags – sugar absorbs water well, so sometimes it is specially stored open in wet rooms so that the mass becomes larger. This explains the low yield of sugar mash, because in fact the moonshiner adds water, not sucrose, to the weight. Wet sugar does not flow well and tends to clump.
3. Size and color of grains. The larger the sugar crystals, the better. This is because it is easier to discreetly add other substances to the fine fraction, which are usually supplied in powder form. Most of all, fine sugar like powder should be alarming.
The color cannot unambiguously indicate the quality of the sugar, but if possible it is better to use a product with a slight creamy tint – this is minimally processed sugar. Again, it is easier to add chemicals to the snowy mass.