Braga: recipe and cooking conditions, ingredients, proportions. Container for mash

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

The mash recipe is one of the most ancient, because this drink appeared long before moonshine or vodka was made. A long time ago, people began to notice that any sweet juice that remains in a vessel for a long time gradually turns into a cloudy and foamy drink, in which alcohol is formed. The preparation of the mash started randomly. However, after repeated experiments and improvements in manufacturing processes, a tasty and pleasant drink was created.

Basis of spirits

Moonshine is an intoxicating drink with a high strength. Braga for moonshine is the basis, because the drink appears precisely as a result of the distillation of this alcohol-containing raw material.

What do you need to cook?

Sugar is considered the key ingredient for mash. It depends on its quality what the result will be a product. Using bad raw materials, you can get an unpleasant aroma and aftertaste from the drink. However, different types of sugar make it possible to experiment with what kind of moonshine the result will be.

Water also plays a big role, which shouldbe drinkable and crystal clear. It does not need to be boiled, because then all the oxygen necessary for fermentation processes will leave it.

Next, we turn to the choice of yeast, they also help to make a high quality product. There are many different yeasts, each with their own benefits:

1. Bakery. Most often, they are necessary to obtain a high-quality drink. However, please note that the resulting product will contain no more than 10% alcohol.
2. For whiskey. They are found in the mixtures needed to make grain must.
3. Alcoholic. They give a drink with 18% alcohol, but various impurities come with them.
4. Wine. They are used to make must on fruits. As a result, it is possible to obtain a high percentage of alcohol content, and the drink does not contain a large amount of third-party impurities.

Together with yeast wort, other mineral components can be used, such as dried black bread, as well as thoroughly boiled grain. To get up to 10 liters of mash, you need to take from 1 kilogram of additional components. It is important to observe all proportions of sugar and yeast mash in order to get the highest quality product.

It is also very important to monitor the release of carbon dioxide, which is formed during the fermentation process. For these purposes, it is necessary to acquire a water seal for mash.

Start making drink

Almost any recipe for mash and moonshine will containsteps shown:

• Wort containing water and sugar is being prepared. Sugar can be either in its pure form, or be part of a variety of raw materials, such as fruits, berries, and so on.
• The resulting mixture must be mixed with yeast, which will allow you to create mash.
• During the fermentation process, the yeast will absorb sugar, which will lead to the active production of carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol.
• Ready-made mash has alcohol in its composition, but it is relatively small: 8-12 degrees. If you want to significantly increase the degree, then a moonshine still will come to your aid.

How to choose raw materials?

Braga at home needs quality sugar. You can choose classic sand for yourself or take components that contain sugar. You can use a variety of berries, fruits, sugar beets and more. Very often, ingredients that contain starch are used as raw materials: rice, corn, rye, wheat, and so on. Despite the fact that starch does not have fermentative properties, due to the action of enzymes that are included in the m alt, it is extremely quickly transformed into sugar. It should not be forgotten that the quality of the raw materials used greatly affects the quality of the finished product.

How does fermentation work?

Once you are done with the preparation of the wort, the fermentation process begins. At this time, sugar is processed and converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which must be removed using a water seal for mash. Depending on how well it goesfermentation process, it will be known how high-quality the drink turned out. At each stage of the preparation of moonshine or mash, it is necessary to pay great attention to this stage.

The mash container must be left in a room where the correct temperature is present, which will not change significantly. It is also very important to monitor the temperature of the drink itself, because the fermentation processes are accompanied by the release of heat. The optimum temperature for mash varies from 25 to 28 ° C. A cooler temperature slows down the fermentation process or stops it completely (if the thermometer shows less than 20 ° C). The drink should not be hotter than 40°C, otherwise the yeast will start to die. The duration of fermentation depends on the quality of the raw materials used, yeast, and on the temperature of the room. Thus, mash is prepared from 1 to 14 days.

Sugar Braga

The sugar mash recipe is the simplest and easiest to make, and the resulting drink can be used later for a variety of purposes. To prepare it, we need:

• water - 5 liters;
• sugar - 1 kilogram;
• pressed yeast - 100 grams.

The proportions of sugar and yeast mash must be measured accurately in order to get a really high-quality product. First, dissolve the sugar in warm water and then add the yeast. If you use exactly pressed ones, then they must be diluted in advance with a small amount of sugar solution and wait until theyare activated. This takes no more than 5 minutes. Dry yeast can be immediately poured into syrup. The mash container is closed with a water seal lid, and the seven-day waiting process begins. As soon as time has passed, all liquid without yeast sediment must be drained and distilled using moonshine.

If you want to refine the classic moonshine, then you can initially add various berries or fruits, such as blackthorn, plum or grapes, to the mash. This will not only improve the taste of the drink, but also give it a pleasant aroma. What's more, these additional ingredients will help improve the fermentation process, as they contain wild yeast on their surface.

Starch Based Braga

Moonshine based on grain is distinguished by its unique aroma and taste, which makes it deservedly a noble drink. The procedure for its manufacture requires more effort and labor than the classic process for the production of mash for moonshine, but all this will certainly pay off as a result. As a basis, you can choose flour, cereals or grains. It is the last component that is distinguished by the presence of a large amount of starch containing sugar molecules. The latter has always been and will be the main component that starts the fermentation process.

Starch is converted to sugar by the action of enzymes that are part of the m alt. First you need to germinate the grain (up to 1 kilogram), grind it thoroughly and mix it with crushed (not germinated) grain, cereals or flour. Starch inthese ingredients are contained inside the cells, therefore, it is recommended to sift the cereal for a start. This softens the shells and makes it easier for the starch to come out. The resulting solution is called wort.

The main difficulty in making starch-based mash is the density of the must after fermentation. This complicates the process of distilling the drink through the apparatus: it can burn to the walls, and this will spoil the whole taste of moonshine.

The distillation of grain wort is due to steam. You can also use a water or glycerine bath.

Alternative mash recipes

There are many other recipes for getting the desired drink. For example, you can make mash on wheat without yeast, or use ingredients other than sugar or starch. Experienced craftsmen can experiment with different ingredients in order to prepare the most pleasant product for themselves.

Jam Braga

To prepare this drink, you must use the following ingredients:

• warm water - about 30 liters;
• fermented jam - 6 liters;
• yeast - 200 grams;
• granulated sugar - 3 kilograms.

Water for mash should be warm, not too hot. Jam is added to it first, then yeast and, after mixing, sugar. The resulting mixture is infused for five days. The result is a tasty and pleasant mash, which will be an excellent raw material for the production of equally high-quality moonshine.

Apple based drink

The presented mash recipe requires the following ingredients:

• 20 liters of warm water;
• 100 grams dry yeast;
• 30 kilos whole apples or 10 kilos chopped;
• 4 kilos of granulated sugar.

Carefully washed and peeled fruits should be cut into small pieces, removing rotten or spoiled elements. After that, the apple needs to be crushed even more, but not mashed. You can use a crusher, blender or regular grater for this. This will give you about 10 liters of apple mixture.

The ratio of water used to sugar should always be exactly 5 to 1, regardless of the amount of ingredients used to make the drink. For such a mash, it is best to take dry yeast, thanks to which you can avoid the souring of the drink. However, if you do not like their unique aroma, then you can always replace them with wine ones.

First you need to prepare sugar syrup, where after the finished apple must is poured. The resulting mixture is stirred slowly and thoroughly. Yeast must be pre-prepared. Dilute them in warm water and wait 20 minutes to activate. After that, you can safely add the last ingredient to the total mass.

With baker's yeast, the fermentation process lasts up to 10 days, dry yeast will allow fermentation to complete successfully only after 21 days.

Braga on wheat without yeast

Many connoisseurs of homemade spirits may be surprised at the urge to make mash onwheat base without yeast. It is worth noting that in ancient times this must was used to produce bread wine or polugar. So going back to basics will not only be exciting, but also delicious.

With such mash you can get no less worthy moonshine. It is characterized by excellent aroma, mild taste and almost never make you suffer from a hangover in the morning.

What's in a classic recipe?

To get the right mash we need:

• 2 kilos of wheat;
• 2 kilos of sugar;
• 15 liters of clean unboiled water.

It is worth paying attention to the containers in which the fermentation process will take place: they must be perfectly clean. Otherwise, all your efforts and expenses will go nowhere.

What should I do?

1. Take a glass container for the starter. Pour about 500 grams of wheat inside, level the grains and fill them with water. The liquid should rise above them no higher than 2 centimeters. The container must be tightly covered with a lid and placed in a cool room where sunlight does not fall. This is necessary for the wheat to germinate a little. This process takes about two days. It is very important to wait for sprouts to appear before proceeding with any further action.
2. As soon as the wheat sprouts, add about 300 grams of granulated sugar to it. Mix everything well by hand. It is strictly forbidden to do this with metal or plastic spoons. If necessary, dilute the mass with water. The neck of the container is closedwith a clean layer of gauze, and the container is transferred inside a warm room for 12 days. This will be more than enough time to make a sourdough starter to replace yeast.
3. Pour the finished sourdough into a glass container where the mash will ferment. Cover the grain with sugar and pour warm water.
4. The neck is closed with a water seal. The fermentation process will be accompanied by a characteristic gurgling and bubbles. In time, all this takes from 1 to 3 weeks.
5. It is very important to try the mash first, it should have the original bitter taste.
6. It remains only to strain the liquid and distill the drink through the moonshine.

A little secret

From the fermented grains of wheat, it will turn out to cook from 2 to 3 servings of mash. To do this, you will need to periodically add about two kilograms of sugar and add the missing volume of water.