Cleaning fruit mash. Method of clarifying mash with alcohol (vodka)

When preparing moonshine, it is important to properly clean the mash. If it is not clarified, the finished drink will have an unnecessary odor and harmful impurities.

Let's take a closer look at how mash is clarified at home, as well as what clarification methods exist and which are more effective.

Preparing mash

Braga is an alcoholic drink that can be drunk or used later for subsequent distillation into moonshine. It is obtained by fermenting sugar or other sugar products, which serve as the basis for distillation through special devices into moonshine.

In some cases, mash is made from potatoes, grains or other starchy products.

Before clarifying the mash, it is important to understand how it is made. The mash preparation process goes like this:

To get five liters of mash you need to take sugar (1 kilogram) and yeast (100 grams). Dissolve the yeast in boiled water at a temperature of thirty degrees. In a separate bowl, prepare syrup from sugar and water. Mix the resulting mixtures with each other and add water to five liters;
Close the container with the solution tightly and place it in a warm place. To prevent the mass from exploding from a large amount of carbon dioxide, be sure to make a water seal or wear gloves with holes on the jar;
Fermentation lasts from five to ten days;
When the process is finished, pour the resulting drink into a clean container. You need to pour carefully so as not to disturb the sediment that has settled at the bottom.

To check the readiness of the mash, carefully look to see if it has the following signs:

If a water dispenser has been installed on top of the mash container and no bubbles of carbon dioxide escape through it, then the mash is already ready;
When stirring the mash, bubbles rise to the top;
The taste of the mass is bitter, without sweetness;
The sugar has completely fermented and is not noticeable.

If the brew is of high quality, when checking it, all the described signs should be observed. The degree of readiness of the mash is also checked in the following ways:

If it costs 3 – 28 days;
If, when you bring a lit match to the mash, the fire does not go out, it means that it is already ready;
A bitter taste also indicates the readiness of the mash.

Braga is ready for further use. If you want to store it, bottle it and close the lids tightly.

Difficulties in making mash

During the preparation of mash, the following situations may arise:

If the mash ferments for a very long time. This may indicate that the temperature regime was violated, or that bad yeast or insufficient quantities were used;
If fermentation is over and the taste is still sweet, it is possible that the initial proportions of sugar and water were disturbed before distillation. Or the yeast has produced a large amount of alcohol and can no longer perform its function. To correct this situation and restart the fermentation process, you need to add a little more yeast to the mash;
If you cannot distill the finished mash immediately, you can put it in the refrigerator. It can be stored in the cold for no more than two weeks. To prevent harmful microbes from penetrating inside the product, it must be sealed. But, nevertheless, it is not recommended to store the mash. Because even in the cold it can turn sour. Therefore, immediately after fermentation it must be distilled.

If you are interested in the question of how much moonshine can be obtained from mash, you need to consider how much raw material you will take. For example, a kilogram of sugar produces a liter of drink. Its strength will be 50%. A good result would be 1.2 liters of moonshine. If you want to get a larger volume of moonshine, take more sugar accordingly.

Why do you need to clarify the mash?

It is not necessary to lighten the mash. But in order to get a high-quality drink, it is still recommended to resort to such a process.

When yeast enters the still of a moonshine still, it begins to burn. Because of this, in the future the moonshine becomes not very tasty and acquires an unpleasant odor. If you act on the drink with a sorbent (betonite, gelatin or other methods), the yeast will sink down in an even layer, and the mash itself will lighten.

The mash clarification process

When the fermentation process ends, most people who make alcoholic beverages at home make the mistake of not clarifying the mash. This error subsequently affects the taste and smell of the drink. To clarify the drink, they resort to the use of bentonite, a special clay that is used by humans for various purposes. To brew moonshine, you need to purchase bentonite for winemaking purposes (it is important when purchasing the product to carefully check whether there is such a mark on the packaging).

15 grams of the product are taken for every ten liters of mash. Bentonite dissolves in hot water. Wait until it completely dissolves. Pour the resulting homogeneous mixture into the mash. The lightening process can last from five minutes to 24 hours. Such a long period of time depends on the quality of bentonite, its quantity, water hardness and other factors.

After some time, the mash is poured into a clean container and used to distill moonshine.

To clean moonshine from impurities and unpleasant odors, they resort to proper fermentation, clarification of the mash, high-speed distillation, re-distillation, purification with activated carbon, purification with egg or milk, and filtration. To get high-quality and tasty moonshine, it is recommended to use all cleaning methods.

Instructions for bentonite for clarifying mash

Bentonite is an environmentally natural material and is good at removing harmful substances from alcoholic beverages. Purification with bentonite is called mash clarification. To clarify alcohol and mash, special bentonite is produced for the wine industry.

The instructions for use say the following:

For one liter of drink that needs to be clarified, you need to take 5 - 7 grams of raw materials;
Bentonite is diluted in five times the volume of the clarified drink;
The resulting mixture must be left to swell for three hours;
Add the resulting mass to the entire volume of the drink;
After stirring well, let stand until the drink completely clears and the sediment falls to the bottom.

After opening the bentonite package, it should be stored in a tightly closed bag in a cool, dry place.

Ways to clarify mash

There are many different ways to lighten mash. But the following methods are considered the most effective:

Lightening with cold. The drink is taken to a cold place. The temperature should be from five to ten degrees above zero (in no case minus). The mash is clarified in this way for three to ten days. When the drink brightens, it is poured into a clean container, leaving sediment at the bottom;
Lightening with bentonite. Bentonite helps turbid particles settle to the bottom faster, adsorbs oxidative enzymes, destroys microorganisms, and reduces protein and other substances. The clay needs to be crushed as finely as possible. Then it is diluted with water and waited three to four hours until it swells. Then the water is drained, and the resulting mass of bentonite is diluted with mash (100 milliliters). After mixing well, the homogeneous liquid is poured into the entire volume of the mash. As soon as the mash settles, it is poured into an empty container, and the sediment is poured onto the street. Bentonite sediment should not be poured into the sink or toilet! Since it can provoke the formation of cement plugs in the sewer system, which are difficult to remove;
We clarify the mash with a filter press. This device operates under pressure. For a filter press, you need to take filter cardboard, which has an optimal porous structure. It is this material that prevents solid particles from penetrating inside the mash. Cardboard consists of cellulose, which is a natural, environmentally friendly raw material.

Thanks to the filter press, the mash not only clarifies, but also sterilizes and washes it. For fine cleaning of mash, you need to take cardboard with small pores, for rough cleaning - with large pores;

Lightening the mash with hibiscus tea. Hibiscus is a tea drink made from dried Sudanese rose flowers. It has high acidity and does an excellent job of clarifying mash. For 10 liters of mash you need to take 70 grams of hibiscus tea flowers. Pour a liter of water over the flowers and bring to a boil. Stir constantly. Turn off the heat, cover the container with a lid and cool to twenty degrees. Add hibiscus to the mash, stir and let stand for 24 hours. Drain the purified drink and distill in any way. After this type of clarification, the mash becomes red, but this color does not affect the taste of the alcoholic drink;
We clean fruit mashes with gelatin. Before distilling fruit mashes, it is also important to clarify them. Gelatin binds the yeast sediment, but at the same time leaves an apple, plum, pear or cherry flavor in the finished moonshine. For 10 liters of mash you need to take two grams of gelatin. Pour one gram of gelatin with water (200 milliliters). Let stand for 24 hours in the room on the table. The water needs to be changed every 8 hours. After a while, add warm water to the swollen gelatin mass. Pour the resulting mass into the mash. Let stand for three days and drain the sediment. Make a distillation;
Bread and molasses mash can be lightened with lime. Dry quicklime (several grams) is added to the mash. When the sediment falls to the bottom, the clean mash is poured into another container and used to distill moonshine.

When using any of the above methods for clarifying mash, it is important to remember that you need to have moderation in everything. Since, along with foreign substances, aromatic substances can be removed from the drink. Because of this, the mash will become tasteless and colorless.

Now you know that before distilling the mash into moonshine, it needs to be clarified in order to improve the taste of the drink. By choosing one of the clarification methods described above, the end result will be high-quality, pure, aromatic and tasty moonshine.

Home brewing begins with making mash. The color, transparency and smell of the finished alcohol will depend on its quality. In order to get truly high-quality moonshine, the mash must be thoroughly clarified.

To do this, you can use several different substances, one of which is bentonite.

Betonite is a fine-porous clay that is actively used in the construction industry, cosmetology and winemaking. It is white in color and has a high level of absorption. It removes all harmful impurities from the mash, improves the aroma of the drink, and also significantly brightens it.

Lightening mash with this white clay has its undeniable advantages:

the degree of mash, and subsequently moonshine, does not decrease due to the neutral acidity level of bentonite;
only clay rectification (clarification) allows you to remove the unpleasant aroma of the drink that occurs when distilling mash through a special still;
it is bentonite that allows you to completely neutralize the unpleasant yeast odor;
such rectification allows you to lighten the mash by 3 or even 5 times, making it almost transparent;
this substance is completely safe for the body and does not have any negative effect on the human body or on the quality of the drink itself;
bentonite allows you to significantly accelerate the formation of sediment and at the same time reduces the concentration of fusel oils in the drink.

There are also some disadvantages to this method of lightening:

white clay is not suitable for rectification of grain and fruit mashes;
the final volume of mash after clarification is reduced by approximately 15% due to the absorption of liquid by the clay.

Reference! Disposal of used bentonite requires certain conditions. Under no circumstances should it be poured into a regular sewer. The concrete will begin to harden and cause serious blockages in the pipe that will be impossible to remove.

Where can I buy?

For proper and high-quality clarification of mash, it is necessary to use only bentonite of high quality and natural origin.

You can purchase it:

In specialized moonshine and winemaking stores. So there is always a wide range and affordable prices. When purchasing in such stores, you can be sure of the high quality of white clay.
In pet stores. Often bentonite is sold in these retail outlets in the form of cat litter. When choosing it here, you should carefully study the composition so that, in addition to bentonite, no other components are included in it.
In specialized cosmetology departments, as well as in pharmacies, bentonite is sold in the form of masks for the face, hair and body. You can purchase white clay in this form to lighten mash only if the composition contains only one component - bentonite.

If this product will be used for the first time, it is better to purchase it in small quantities, especially since the consumption of white clay is quite small.

How to use correctly - proportions and preparatory stage

For correct and complete rectification, it is necessary to observe the dosage of powder consumption per 10 liters of liquid. Experienced moonshiners recommend using no more than 1 tbsp. dry white clay per 10 liters of liquid.

Important! Increasing the powder dosage will not speed up rectification or improve its quality. On the contrary, after purification, an alcoholic drink may become even more cloudy and thick, which will make it unsuitable for further use.

On average, for each liter of mash, 2 to 3 g of powder is required. True, there are exceptions. If more than 15 liters of liquid are subjected to rectification in one container, then the consumption increases to 5 g per liter.

The preparatory stage is necessary if bentonite is purchased in the form of lump clay. If it is in powder form, then you can immediately proceed to the clarification process. In other cases it is necessary:

the piece must be crushed into small particles using a hammer.
The resulting powder must be poured in one layer onto a baking sheet and placed in the oven at a temperature of 120 degrees for 45 minutes.
After drying, the clay is cooled to room temperature and ground in a coffee grinder. Then stored in a tightly closed container.

The time for drying clay in the oven can be reduced to half an hour if you use the convection mode.

Video instruction:

How to clarify before distillation?

The rectification procedure will be as follows:

placing containers with alcoholic liquid on a small hill;
Using a wooden spatula with a long handle, you must thoroughly mix the liquid so that a funnel appears in the center;
with intensive stirring, it is necessary to pour a solution of white clay into it so that both liquids mix thoroughly with each other;
after this it is necessary to leave the mash to settle. The cleaning process can take from one hour to two days. You can understand that it has ended by separating the liquid in the container. In the upper part there will be almost transparent and clean mash, and at the bottom of the container there will be a cloudy sediment in the form of a suspension.

After the cleaning process is completed, the mash must be drained from the sediment. One end of a thin rubber hose is dipped into a container with mash, and the other end is immersed in another clean container, which is located below the level of the container with alcohol. You must suck in all the air from the hose with your mouth in order for the draining process to begin.

Important! The end of the hose, located in a container with clarified mash, should be above the level of the deposited sediment. Otherwise, not the purified alcohol, but the precipitate that has fallen will be expressed into a clean container.

How to make a solution?

For high-quality clarification and cleaning of the mash, it is necessary to properly prepare the bentonite solution. The process of its preparation consists of the following steps:

Pour 0.5 liters of ordinary water into an aluminum pan. Place it on the fire to heat up and stir continuously and vigorously until a funnel appears in the center.
Pour a tablespoon of bentonite into it in a thin stream with continuous stirring.
It is necessary to stir the mixture until the clay particles are completely dissolved.
Then the mixture is left for 5 - 10 minutes, after which it is vigorously mixed again. After the solution has cooled to room temperature, it can be used to clarify the mash.

If clay lumps appear during the cooking process, they must be eliminated using a mixer or blender.

When heated in a cube, yeast residues can burn, ruining the taste and smell of moonshine. Clarifying the mash before distillation minimizes the risk of deterioration in the organoleptic properties of the distillate. Typically, bentonite (preferably), gelatin or hibiscus tea are used for cleaning, which are not always on hand. You can lighten sugar mash with a more accessible substance - citric acid.

Theory. In an acidic environment, the yeast stops working and sinks to the bottom of the fermentation tank in the form of sediment. At home, the easiest and safest way to create an acidic environment is by adding citric acid to the mash. But before distillation, it is important to return the pH balance of the liquid to neutral values by extinguishing excess acid with baking soda or chalk, otherwise after distillation the moonshine will be sour - with a vinegary aftertaste.

Due to its aggressive effect on aroma, clarification with citric acid is only suitable for sugar mashes. If you need to preserve the smell of moonshine, it is not recommended to use the method for cleaning grain and especially fruit mash.

Lightening technology

Ingredients for 10 liters of mash:

citric acid – 25 grams (1 level tablespoon);
baking soda or crushed chalk - 1 tablespoon.

The acid can be replaced with freshly squeezed lemon juice. One medium-sized fruit contains 5-6 grams of acid.

Step-by-step instruction

1. Remove the spent mash from the sediment and pour it into another container without touching the loose layer at the bottom.

2. mechanically - mix by hand (with a stick) or with a drill with an attachment (only in a plastic container) until the smell of carbon dioxide disappears. Using a drill, the task is solved in 3-7 minutes depending on the volume; manually it takes many times longer.

Attention! Only fermented mash can be clarified, since after adding acid, fermentation will stop and all sugar not processed by yeast will disappear. Preliminary degassing increases the cleaning efficiency by 2-3 times.

3. Dilute citric acid in the same amount of water - mix in a 1:1 ratio. Add the solution to the mash, mix, and seal tightly. Add the squeezed and strained lemon juice immediately without diluting with water.

4. Place the container for 5 hours in a dark place at room temperature or in the cold, but not below zero.

5. Drain the clarified mash from the sediment through a tube or overflow siphon.

6. Add baking soda (chalk) to the mash and stir. Leave the container open for 10 minutes.

7. Distill the mash. It is advisable to carry out heating to 50-60 °C with the lid open, stirring occasionally to remove carbon dioxide that was formed during the reaction of soda (chalk) with citric acid.

Much attention is paid to improving the quality of moonshine produced at home. The first stage of purifying the future drink from harmful impurities and fusel oils is carried out even before distillation. How to clean the mash, removing some of the unnecessary, dangerous substances from it and why do it?

There are many methods for clarifying mash. Most Popular? cleaning with white clay (bentonite), edible gelatin, decoction of Sudanese rose petals, milk. The methods are suitable for purifying both the product prepared for distillation in a moonshine still or distillation column, and mash intended for drinking. Less common, but also quite effective methods are: freezing and filtration through a press filter.

Why is this necessary? Clarifying the mash before distillation helps get rid of dense suspension, “dead” matter. yeast, which during heat treatment sticks to the walls of the distillation cube. In addition, when heated, the yeast sediment begins to decompose, forming compounds with an unpleasant taste and smell. The quality of moonshine, accordingly, leaves much to be desired.

Degassing

An optional but desirable stage of pre-treatment of mash before cleaning at home? degassing It is needed in order to finally remove carbon dioxide from the wort and? kill? yeast continuing to ferment.

The easiest way to degas? intensive stirring of the fermented drink. It is most convenient to carry out manipulations using a mixer or a whisk attached to the attachment of a hand drill.

It is necessary to stir the wort for 5-7 minutes without interruption. After such treatment, sedimentation of suspensions and cleaning of the mash is faster and better.

There is another, less labor-intensive, but longer-term degassing method. It consists in creating a temperature regime at which the yeast dies.

First option? heat. The matured wort is heated with constant stirring to a temperature of 50-60? C. Air cooling lasts several hours. In such extreme conditions, all yeast cultures will die, and the mash will be ready for cleaning.

The second option is even simpler. The container is placed in the cold (0-12? C). Leave for several hours. At low temperatures, yeast stops working. All that remains is to stir the drink and move on to the next step? clarification of mash before distillation in a moonshine still.

Cleaning mash with bentonite

Bentonite? a natural mineral that is resistant to aggressive acidic environments. Non-toxic
chemically resistant, when hydrated (diluted in water) it tends to swell 15 times. Perfectly binds elements of fusel oils, dense suspensions, by-products of yeast fungi.

To clarify (clean) mash intended for drinking, or before distilling it into moonshine, at home you can use bentonite, produced specifically for the wine industry. A more affordable option? buy unscented bentonite cat litter.

Cleaning technology:

Prepare bentonite at the rate of 1 tbsp. l. for 10 l. wort.
Grind into powder without lumps. You can do this using a coffee grinder, in a ceramic mortar, or simply thoroughly mash the soft mineral with a spoon.
Dilute in water. Proportions? 1 tbsp. l. per 500 ml of liquid. Stir until a homogeneous substance is obtained.
Leave the solution to swell for 3-4 hours.
Shake the prepared clay solution and carefully pour it into a container with mash.
Stir and leave for several hours alone.

The settling process begins almost immediately, but for effective removal of fusel oils and dense suspensions, it is recommended to let the solution sit for a day. When a dense white sediment forms at the bottom of the dish, the mash must be drained through a hose. You can start distilling.

Lightening hibiscus mash

Hibiscus petal tea, better known as hibiscus tea, has high acidity. Sudanese rose decoction? An ideal product for cleaning mash intended for drinking. Can
use the hibiscus method of clarifying the wort before distillation.

Cleaning technology:

For every 10 liters of mash, measure out 70 g of dry hibiscus petals.
The decoction is prepared at the rate of 10 g of tea per 100 ml of water. The tea is boiled for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Cool the hibiscus to a temperature of 20-30? C, pour it into a container with mash.
Mix thoroughly and leave to settle for a day.

Under the influence of the hibiscus, a dense sediment will fall to the bottom of the container. It must be separated from the upper layers of the wort by decanting through a silicone tube. The drink is ready to be drunk or distilled into a stronger moonshine product.

Cleaning with gelatin

Bentonite and hibiscus are well suited for cleaning sugar or vegetable mash. For fruit, berry and grain species, it is better to use other methods. For example, lighten with gelatin or milk. Both methods are quite effective, harmless, and convenient for use at home. Their advantage is that milk and gelatin do not kill the specific aroma and taste inherent in grain and fruit solutions.

Technology for purifying fermented wort from fusel oils with gelatin:

Based on the volume of the solution, do you measure out the required amount of edible gelatin? per 10 liters of liquid 2 grams.
Dry gelatin is poured with water (200 ml per 1 g).
Leave for 24 hours.
The next day, water is added to the solution in the original volume. Stir the mass.
Pour the keloid solution into the mash.

The process of precipitation of harmful enzymes, suspensions, and essential oils lasts 2-3 days. As soon as a thick sediment forms at the bottom of the container, the mash wort is decanted and distilled.

Milk for cleaning drinking mash

Clarifying mash and purifying moonshine with milk? one of the oldest, proven by centuries of practice, environmentally friendly and completely safe methods of refining alcoholic beverages. The essence of the technique is that milk contains special proteins? casein and albumin? which coagulate (glue together) harmful impurities, preventing them from dissolving in the liquid. However, good results can only be achieved if the right milk is used and the correct proportions are observed.

Thus, clarification with milk is performed 2 hours before distillation of the fermented wort. The fat content of the milk does not matter in this case. If you are cleaning drinking mash, which will not be distilled into moonshine, milk should be used skimmed or with a low fat content.

Powdered milk can be used for precipitation. In this case, 2-3 hours before use, it is diluted in warm water, allowed to brew and cool. Pour into the drink and leave for several hours. During this time, a sediment of white flakes forms at the bottom of the container.

This cleaning method must be combined with filtration, since conventional decanting is not enough. It is recommended to perform filtration twice: first, pass the drink through several layers of gauze, and then strain it through thick cotton material.

Moonshine brewing is gaining great popularity again. This is due to the fact that the modern market, although it has a rich selection of alcoholic products, is often quite expensive and not always of high quality. Good moonshiners always fight for the quality of their products, since they themselves use them.

The moonshine brewing process involves several different steps. Each has its own characteristics and requirements for implementation. This traditional drink is always prepared from. It is obtained by keeping the wort for a long time in a warm place until the gas formation process is completely completed. After this it is required , since it turns out cloudy, with a large amount of residual impurities.

Cleaning the mash before distillation is necessary in order to rid the drink of harmful impurities and unpleasant odors and reduce the content fusel oils. This stage is not indicated in every moonshine preparation technology. It is not mandatory, but highly recommended.

On the question of why to lighten the mash and whether it should be done, opinions sometimes differ. Some people believe that this stage is not always necessary. But the most widespread and most correct opinion is that Clarification of the mash is definitely necessary.

If you look into the fermentation process in detail, it turns out that it occurs due to the work of various yeasts. After this stage is completely completed, some of them settle to the bottom of the vessel with liquid. If you do not clean it, this mass will burn to the walls of the vessel during the distillation process, creating a very unpleasant odor and spoiling all the moonshine. It will hardly be possible to drink it after this.

The second reason why cleaning the mash is needed is to get rid of some of the fusel oils. In this way it is not possible to completely eliminate harmful substances, but the further process of getting rid of them will be much easier. In any case, the stage of cleaning the mash before distillation should not be skipped. It's better to spend a little time than to remake the drink again.

Effective ways to clarify mash

Lightening mash at home can be done in several different ways. They differ in the substances or processes used that act as purification catalysts. How to clarify the mash before distillation is chosen depending on what it is made from. Different main ingredients require different technologies. The main ways to lighten mash:

Natural
Freezing or cold
Bentonite
Hibiscus
Lemon acid
Gelatin
Milk
Soda
Alcohol
Activated carbon
Potassium permangantsovka

Cleaning mash in some ways is considered less effective or even completely misleading. However, each technology has its supporters and justifications for its effectiveness. Therefore, everyone decides for themselves exactly how to clean before distillation. The main thing is to make sure that the liquid has already reached sufficient strength. For high-quality further distillation, it must be at least 11%. If the alcohol content is lower, the distillation process will not be efficient enough.

Natural lightening

Clarifying mash natural This method is not used for all types of fermented wort. It is extremely rare that the mixture peels off evenly; often several layers of different density are formed at the bottom of the container. Therefore, this method is used with partial cooling.

In order for a dense sediment to form evenly at the bottom of the vessel, you will need to keep the mash for a week in a cool place at a temperature of 5 - 6 degrees. A cellar in a private home is best suited for this, although an ordinary household refrigerator can also be used. To do this, the container must be small.

During the holding period, the sediment will sink to the bottom of the container, leaving a transparent mash on top. This liquid will need to be carefully removed without touching the solid fraction. To do this, the vessel is placed above the distillation cube, for example, on a stool. A tube is lowered into the bottle, through which the mash is carefully poured into the cube. You can try to drain the liquid without using a tube, but in this way you can raise the sediment and cloud the clean mash, so it is better to remove it from the sediment.

If additional ingredients were used when preparing the mash, then light impurities may float to the surface of the mash when kept in the cold. This layer is carefully removed using a sieve or gauze, after which you can separate the clean mash.

Clarifying mash with cold or freezing

Clarifying mash with cold is the most controversial and questionable method of effectiveness. Nevertheless, it exists. It is believed that when frozen, the part containing alcohol will remain liquid, and water with all solid and harmful impurities will change its state of aggregation, turning into ice. Clarifying the mash in this way should be carried out at a low temperature of up to 10 degrees below zero, and possibly warmer. This is due to the fact that the mash has a low alcohol content, and, accordingly, will freeze faster than pure alcohol or vodka.

Using this method, it is difficult to accurately calculate the optimal cooling temperature, which is why you can freeze and lose some of the clean mash. And the cleansing technique itself is effective only in theory. In practice, this method is often challenged. In any case, whether or not to choose this method of cleaning mash, everyone decides for himself.

Clarifying mash with bentonite

Lightening mash is one of the most popular, and, accordingly, the most effective methods. It's worth figuring out what this substance is. Bentonite is a type of natural clay. It is white in color, has excellent absorbent characteristics and is used in various fields: mechanical engineering, agriculture, construction. More everyday items are often made from this material. Those who keep cats at home use cat litter. Some of its types are also made from bentonite.

It is quite easy to purchase. It is sold in specialized stores for moonshiners. If there are no such points in your city, then you can buy white clay used for cosmetic masks at the pharmacy. The third way is to visit a pet store. Cat litter is also suitable. The main thing is to check that it contains nothing other than bentonite. Formulations with added flavorings are not suitable, as they will spoil the taste of the drink.

Having figured out what bentonite is and where to buy it, you can move on to learning how to lighten mash with this material. Due to the ability of white clay to absorb all harmful substances, this method is the most effective.

The first and important point in the process of clarifying mash is proportions. Compliance with them will ensure high-quality cleaning. If you add too much bentonite, you can ruin the drink and have to start all over again. For 10 liters of mash prepared for cleaning, only 20 grams of bentonite will be required. Based on these proportions, you can calculate the weight of a substance for any volume. Don't try to improvise. It is thanks to the exact adherence to the recipe that bentonite not only brightens the mash, but also absorbs some of the fusel oils.

Whatever form of the substance is chosen, it will have to be grind. You should get a fine fraction that resembles flour. At home, a coffee grinder is suitable for this. If you don’t have one, then use a blender or a regular rolling pin. After this, the bentonite is dried in the oven. It is laid out on baking paper and kept at a temperature of about 120 degrees for half an hour.

Prepared bentonite is mixed with hot water in proportions of 1 liter to 2 tablespoons. The substance is thoroughly mixed until lumps are completely removed and a creamy consistency is achieved. The resulting mixture is infused for about 10 minutes until it swells and only after that is poured into the mash.

The infusion process itself requires adherence to simple technology. stir until the yeast is evenly distributed. In this case, a funnel is twisted in the center of the liquid with a spoon, into which the bentonite is poured. If it is impossible to use this method, for example, the container has a narrow neck, the solution is simply poured in and shaken with mash.

The resulting mixture is tightly closed and put away in a dark place. In this form, the mash is kept until complete delamination. The maximum process time is about a day. Light, clean mash is removed from the sediment using a rubber tube, so as not to stir the sediment.

The remaining bentonite with impurities is disposed of as solid waste. This means that this mixture cannot be washed down the drain. The clay will harden to form a concrete plug and clog the drain. The sediment is thrown into the trash bin.

Lightening hibiscus mash

Hibiscus tea, made from hibiscus flowers, otherwise called Sudanese rose, is known to everyone for its bright scarlet color and sour taste. It is thanks to him that the purification process occurs. The acids contained in this plant bind all remaining yeast and impurities and lower them to the bottom of the vessel, which makes it possible to clarify the mash.

To lighten hibiscus mash, there are established proportions. For 10 liters of liquid you will need 70 grams of the plant. The tea is poured with 1 liter of water, boiled on the stove and cooled under the lid. After this, the flowers themselves are squeezed out and thrown away, and the liquid is poured into the mash.

The mixture of liquids is kept cool for 24 hours. During this time, all harmful impurities will precipitate. In this case, the mash will turn pink or red. This is normal. During the distillation process, the liquid will still become discolored. This method is not applied to moonshine made from grain or fruit. Hibiscus can change its final taste.

Clarifying mash with citric acid

Clarifying mash citric acid identical to the previous cleaning method, since similar active substances are used. For 10 liters of drink you will need one standard sachet weighing 25 grams. The acid is diluted in a small amount of water, approximately 100 - 150 milliliters, and poured into the mash. The resulting mixture is kept cool for 24 hours.

After the process is completed, clean mash is removed from the sediment through a rubber tube. The finished product may have a sour taste. To neutralize the residual properties of citric acid, it is quenched by adding neutralizing ingredients. Soda or honey are good for this. Only after this the product is ready for distillation.

Clarifying mash with gelatin

Lightening of the mash is carried out thanks to its binding adhesive properties. When it hardens, it changes its consistency, absorbing particles of sediment and pulling them to the bottom. At the same time, gelatin has no taste, so it is suitable for mash made from any type of wort.

For 10 liters of finished mash you will need only 2 grams of gelatin. Such proportions are sufficient for high-quality cleaning. In addition, you will need 400 milliliters of water. It is needed to dissolve the gelatin. It is filled with water, which is changed three times during the day.

After time, the swollen substance is added with water and heated until completely dissolved. Gelatin cannot be boiled. Maximum heating temperature 40 - 50 degrees. The resulting solution is mixed with mash, which is then infused for a couple of days. You need to hold the container until the sediment completely falls out. The process may take longer than the specified time, or perhaps less. Each case is individual. The purified mash is removed from the sediment through a tube.

Clarifying mash with milk

For clarification with milk, use a store-bought product, preferably with the lowest fat content. Homemade product should not be used due to its thickness. When using this recipe, the proportions are quite simple. For 10 liters of mash, 1 liter of milk is required. He does not need any additional preparation. The product is simply poured into the mash, and the resulting mixture is left alone to infuse.

After a few hours, a precipitate in the form of white flakes will fall to the bottom of the vessel. This will be the same yeast with harmful impurities. The resulting product is drained through tightly folded gauze. After this, it is advisable to use another cleaning step - draining through a paper filter. This way the lighting will be of better quality.

Clarifying mash with soda

Cleaning the mash soda is as easy to use as this reagent is available in every kitchen. This alkali is used in the preparation of many dishes to quench vinegar or loosen dough. In addition, it is capable of absorbing harmful elements, due to which cleaning mash using soda becomes more effective.

The quality of the process ensures that proportions are maintained. For 10 liters of finished mash you will need to use 10 grams of soda. It is diluted with water in equal proportions, that is, 10 milliliters of water is required. The not completely dissolved soda is poured into the mash and the mixture is left alone for 20 minutes. After the time has passed, the bottle is thoroughly shaken and the mixture is sent to a cool place for 12 hours.

After the process is completed, the purified mash is drained from the sediment and further filtered. Only after completing all the steps will the product be ready for the first distillation.

Lightening with alcohol

Clarifying mash alcohol is carried out due to the fact that it suppresses the action of the remaining yeast and neutralizes harmful substances, causing them to precipitate. To clarify, a small amount of alcohol is added to the mash itself and left to infuse. It will take less than a day for the sediment to peel off.

The solid fraction that has sunk to the bottom is separated from the mash by draining the pure substance through a tube. It is important not to touch the sediment so as not to mix it with the base. The advantage of this method is not only the rapid detachment of sediment, but also the increase in the strength of the mash due to the infusion of alcohol. Due to this, the alcohol content in the final product obtained after distillation increases.

Clarifying mash using activated carbon

Activated carbon is an excellent natural absorbent. This is the ability to capture and absorb substances harmful to the human body. Only special coal, sold in highly specialized moonshine stores, can absorb fusel oils. Pharmacy tablets are made from a different substance and are aimed at cleansing the body directly.

If you can’t get to a specialized store, you can buy charcoal for barbecues or make it yourself. But burning wood without living in a private house is quite problematic, so it is better to use purchased products.

The mash is mixed with prepared coal and aged for 24 hours. After this, it is removed from the resulting sediment. To complete the cleaning, you will need to filter through a carbon filter. Only after this will it be ready for the first distillation.

Lightening mash with potassium permanganate

Cleaning mash using pure potassium permanganate Not recommended. For optimal lightening, a recipe has been developed that involves two types of soda and manganese itself. For clarification you will need:

Manganese – 2 grams.
Baking soda 10 grams.
Soda ash – 2 grams.

The proportions are calculated for 1 liter of mash. When preparing, be sure to follow the rule of mixing soda. Water flows into it, and not vice versa. Manganese and baking soda are diluted in a liter of water, soda ash is mixed separately with the same volume of water. After this, the solutions are combined and poured into the mash.

The resulting mixture is aged for 12 hours until the solid fraction completely settles. Clean mash is separated through a fine sieve or gauze folded several times. After this, the drink can be distilled.

When making moonshine at home and, in particular, clarification, it is very useful to follow the advice of experienced moonshiners. This will help make manufacturing easier and speed up the process.
In order to clean the mash with alcohol, it is not necessary to use a pure product. It is enough to add distillation tails to the prepared mash. The main thing is to check the alcohol content, it should not be lower than 22 - 25 percent.
When choosing a cleaning method, it is worth considering what kind of wort the mash is made from. Not all methods are suitable for fruit and bread moonshine. The best option is to use gelatin or alcohol. They do not change the taste of the future drink in any way.
The mash cleaning stage when making moonshine cannot be skipped. Otherwise, the remaining yeast will burn to the walls of the distillation cube. This creates a very pungent odor that makes drinking the drink impossible.
It is best to remove the purified mash from the sediment using the wine method. To do this, the vessels are placed at different levels, and the liquid is poured through a flexible tube. You should not drain the mash, as this method risks large losses of clean liquid. Minimum consumption is achieved when using purchased paper or carbon filters.
In order to forcefully complete the fermentation process of the wort, you will need to bring it to a temperature of 60 degrees. After this, you can start cleaning. It cannot be heated higher, otherwise the precious alcohol will be lost and its content will not be enough for distillation.

Clarifying the mash is an important step in the homemade process. They should not be neglected, but the choice must be approached wisely. When choosing a cleaning method, you should be guided not only by the availability of ingredients, but also by the quality and compliance of the technology applied to this mash. Only then will the drink obtained through further distillation be truly tasty and of high quality.