Clarification of mash. Preparation of sugar mash for distillation

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

As a rule, after fermentation, yeast remains in the mash, which is evenly distributed throughout the product. It is they who give the liquid a cloudy appearance. If you start distilling such a product, then a certain part of the yeast will fall into the distillation cube, and later into the finished drink. As a result of this preparation, alcohol acquires an incomprehensible aftertaste that not everyone will like. In addition, the yeast falls to the bottom of the machine and can burn, which ultimately prevents the contents of the tank from being evenly heated. To prevent yeast from entering the apparatus, it is necessary to carry out such a procedure as clarification of the mash.

What is it for?

Even experienced winemakers do not always clarify the liquid before distillation. However, such technological methods make it possible to remove yeast from the product. If they are not removed, then the final product may acquire a gray and unpleasant shade for the eyes. In addition, yeast greatly affects the taste of the drink. Thanks to clarification, you can get absolutely transparent alcohol of a sufficiently high quality.

Natural clarification of the mash occurs a few days after the end of all fermentation processes. Yeast stops "working" when in liquidabout 12% alcohol is formed. They fall into suspended animation, and then simply precipitate to the bottom of the tank. Many resort to such a method as lightening the mash with cold. Lowering the temperature to 2-5 ° C contributes to the fact that the yeast stops working and settles within a day. However, there are other methods.

Lower temperature

Methods of lightening mash are completely different. In this case, one method may be effective for a sugar product, and the other for a grain product. You can use cold to cleanse the mash only when its strength is at least 11%. Only in this case, you can not be afraid that the product will start to turn sour, even if the lightening by the natural method is somewhat delayed.

For normal cleansing of mash requires a decrease in temperature to 5-7 °C. To achieve this, it is enough to place the container with the mash in the refrigerator. If its volumes are large, then you can put it in the cellar. In such a situation, the purification of the drink will proceed more slowly. If there is a danger of acetic fermentation, then the clarification process must be completed urgently.

Use of bentonite

Very often do clarification of mash with bentonite. The pros and cons of this method should be considered in more detail. Concrete is a mineral that belongs to the hydroluminosilicate group. This substance is often referred to as white clay. Most often, betonite is used in the manufacture of ceramic products, as well as in hydraulic construction. The substance is able to bind various protein compounds into flakes, and then cause them to precipitate. It is thanks to this property that betonite is often used in moonshine and winemaking.

The main disadvantage of lightening the mash in this way is the availability of certain equipment. In industrial conditions, this is not a particular problem. At home, you can use various household appliances: mixers, blenders, coffee grinders.

Another disadvantage is that it is very difficult to find a special wine cleaner based on bentonite in the free market. However, many experienced winemakers use cat litter, the main component of which is white clay. These blends include Catsan, Zoonic, PBent.

Clarification of the mash before distillation with bentonite

Only the mash in which all fermentation processes are completely completed can be cleaned in this way. Otherwise, there will be practically no effect. It is sugar mash that is best cleaned in this way. To clarify 10 liters of product, the following proportions must be observed:

1. One tablespoon of bentonite-based cat litter, pre-ground in a coffee grinder.
2. Half a liter of pure water heated to 60°C.

Introduce the powder into the water should be gradual. In this case, the composition must be intensively mixed. The result should be a creamy and homogeneous consistency. The resulting solution must be carefully and gradually poured into the mash. After that, the product must be left completely alone for some time. The sedimentation process takes place within 15-24 hours. After that, cleaning can be considered complete. At the end, you need to carefully drain the clarified part. For this, it is better to use a polymer tube.

If clarification is carried out with wine bentonite, then the procedure should be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of manufacturers. It should be borne in mind that some brands of cleaner must be used dry, without dilution in warm water.

Apply Hibiscus

Clarifying hibiscus mash is another popular way. This method is based on the ability of various proteins to settle under the influence of acid. There is plenty of this component in the dry petals of the Sudanese rose. The cleaning process should begin with the preparation of a special solution based on hibiscus tea. To do this, pour about 70 grams of hibiscus petals with a liter of clean water and put on fire. The infusion should be brought to a boil. After that, the liquid must be removed from the fire, and then cool, carefully wrapped in a warm towel.

This amount of components is enough to clean 10 liters of mash. Raw materials before the procedure are recommended to be heated to 40 ° C. Clarification of the mash with citric acid, which is part of the tea, is carried out within a few days. A precipitate falls to the bottom of the vessel, it remains only to drain the liquid suitable for distillation.

Features of thismethod

This method of lightening the mash has some peculiarities. First of all, it is necessary to highlight the reddish-crimson tint of the filtrate. It is given by hibiscus tea. However, this feature does not affect the taste of the final product.

This cleaning method is ideal when making cereal-based mash. After all, they contain a huge number of particles that are very difficult to filter out. Of course, lightening hibiscus mash has a clear advantage - it preserves a rather pleasant bread aroma.

Cleaning milk

The proteins that make up milk have a unique ability. They easily coagulate fusel oils. In this process, insoluble compounds are created during the distillation process. Experienced winemakers recommend clarification of mash only with purified milk. The product must be poured into the liquid approximately a few hours before distillation in a ratio of 1:10. In other words, this method is additional.

Often a simple drain from the sediment does not give the desired result. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out additional purification with milk in combination with filtration, which is carried out in several stages. The first is made using gauze folded in several layers, and the second is made with a denser cotton material.

How to lighten fruit mash

Very often, various berry or fruit jams are used to make moonshine. In this case, clarification of the mash with gelatin is suitable. This method is quite simple anddoes not cause much difficulty. It is worth noting that the cleaning of fruit mash should proceed more gently and sparingly. It is best to use a coagulant of animal origin. These products include gelatin.

This method has a clear advantage. Gelatin allows you to make the final product more environmentally friendly. In addition, the method of such clarification requires low financial costs. Indeed, for 10 liters of raw materials, only a few grams of gelatin are required, which is previously recommended to be filled with a glass of water, preferably cold. The product should swell. The resulting substance of a jelly-like consistency must be heated before use, but not boiled. The gelatin should completely dissolve. The finished composition should be carefully introduced into the mash. It takes about three days to complete the purification of raw materials. A similar method is often used in the manufacture of all kinds of fruit wines.

Other methods

Mash processing is a very important step. To do this, you can use various components, for example, baking soda or chalk. These substances neutralize fermented acids. It is enough to add just a few tablespoons of powder per 10 liters of raw materials. This method is best used before lightening the mash.

Many experienced winemakers consider such additional processing of raw materials unnecessary and resort to such procedures only if the acidity of the product is somewhat overestimated before distillation. As practice shows, such manipulations with mash are necessary. Through this processing, the final productdoes not have fusel notes in its aroma, which significantly improves its quality. Experts recommend using chalk, since baking soda only affects the pH of the raw materials and the taste of the drink. Suitable method for processing grain and fruit raw materials.