Bread wine. What is the difference between vodka and bread wine? Bread wine at home

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

For many modern Russians, and even more so for foreigners, the word "polugar" means nothing. That is why some take the name of this revived drink as a marketing ploy, because every six months some new strong alcoholic drinks appear on the shelves. In fact, Polugar is the forgotten ancestor of Russian alcohol, it is nothing more than bread wine, which began to be produced in Russia much earlier than the familiar vodka.

A bit of history

Vodka is a mixture of alcohol and purified water. In Russia, it appeared only at the end of the nineteenth century. What was used earlier in Russia? Bread wine was the main strong drink. They got it from ordinary distillation cubes, as, however, the whole world still does it. The only difference was raw materials.

Everyone drives a drink from what is rich. In France, Italy, Spain it is grapes, in Germany wheat is more often used, in England it is barley. Russia has always been rich in rye, so they made bread wine from it. The manufacturing process was not much different from the usualmoonshine or the production of "oak-strength" whiskey in Scotland. If you believe the first mentions, then Scotch whiskey was already in 1494. A certain abbot sent a request to King James to allocate barley for the production of a strong drink, then it was called "water of life" - "aqua vita".

In Russia, the first strong alcoholic drinks are mentioned in the book of the Pole Matvey Mikhovsky in 1517. He describes that in Muscovy the inhabitants, distilling honey and cereals, make a "burning liquid" that warms them in severe frosts. The Russians themselves called this liquid bread wine (due to the method of preparation).

What was called vodka?

Vodka was called bread wine refined in several stages, to which various spices and herbs were added. From a modern point of view, this is a tincture. And there were several varieties of it.

Sometimes there was vodka without additives, just wine was distilled, additionally refined in a vodka cube. This drink was very expensive, only we althy people drank, they know bread wine. Vodka accounted for only 5% of all alcoholic beverages in the country. The processes of distilling and making vodka from wine were taxed differently at that time, they were two completely different processes.

Only in 1936, vodka in Russia began to have a different composition. It has become a common mixture of rectified alcohol with purified water. All bottles with a strength of 40% began to stamp the label "Vodka".

Bread wine - polugar

For a long time, polugar was the highest quality andpopular liquor. The wine is quite strong - 38.5%, has a unique rye taste. Until 1895, polugar was considered a symbol of the quality of alcoholic products, because its strength was strictly controlled.

Nicholas I in 1842 even issued a Decree, according to which the polugar was checked in a special way, that is, by annealing. How did it happen? Ordinary grain wine could have any strength from 38 to 50 degrees, while polugar strictly kept 38.5%. There were no alcohol meters at that time.

The regulated procedure was as follows: the wine was poured into a copper annealer and set on fire using a special technology. Polugar was supposed to burn exactly half. This is where its name came from - semi-garnished wine. The poured two "glasses" burned through and merged into one "glass". It was the norm. Later, when alcoholometers appeared, we managed to find out how many degrees in half a fire, it turned out to be 38-39, but not 40.

Where did 40 degrees come from?

Many are convinced that Mendeleev began to dilute alcohol to a point of forty degrees. In fact, this innovation was introduced by the Minister of Finance of that time, Reitern. This was done to facilitate the work of officials. After the introduction of excises in 1863, they painfully deduced tax amounts, multiplying by 38. The minister ordered that the strength of bread wine be 40 degrees. At that time, alcohol meters were already in full use and the “burn-in” technology became irrelevant.

In 1895 in Russia, after the introduction of the state monopoly on rectified ethyl alcohol,the production of polugar was banned. Vodka began to be produced. Gradually, the recipe for bread wine was forgotten, and only recently the Russian market began to offer this ancient unique drink.

Polugar types

Initially, only three types of polugar came to the modern Russian market: m alt, wheat and rye. Now new varieties have been launched into production: “garlic-pepper”, “rye-wheat”, “honey-pepper”. These new drinks are a bit cheaper as they are not egg white filtered. For the general public, they are quite affordable. The classic polugar is much more expensive and new options are quite suitable for a first acquaintance.

What is the difference between Polugar and vodka

For vodka, pure alcohol is taken, which is made in distillation columns. Chemically it is absolutely pure, has no superfluous smells and smacks. To make polugar, bread wine is used. Traditional distillation does not remove the taste of raw materials. Polugar has a rich, bright aroma of bread. The taste of the drink is incomparable to anything. To some extent, it can only be compared with Scotch whiskey. Polugar is not drunk like vodka. If it is better to drink vodka in one gulp, then polugar should be tasted in small sips, so you can better feel the bright, unique taste and aroma of the drink.

Bread wine recipe. Basic steps

Rye distillate is needed to make polugar. For home brew, select rye is taken, coarsely ground and poured with clean spring water. Water does not require additional filtration.

After the mash has matured and is ready for distillation, special distillation copper stills should be set up. Following the technology, the mash drink is distilled, if required, in several stages. After that, the polugar is cleaned using birch charcoal or egg whites. The result should be a clear strong alcoholic drink.

The resulting polugar has nothing to do with modern vodka. It does not need to be cooled too much, at room temperature the bread flavor is better felt.

Polugar flour

The recipe for bread wine (polugar) includes the following ingredients:

• 2 kg flour;
• 8 liters of water;
• 100g yeast;
• 100 g sugar.

1. Rye or wheat flour is good to dissolve in warm water. Stir thoroughly so that there are no lumps, and a liquid homogeneous mass is obtained. Heat the resulting mass (sourdough) over low heat, cook for about an hour, stirring constantly, the temperature should not exceed 70 degrees. The wort will gradually take on a light brown hue.
2. Remove from heat, let the sourdough cool to room temperature. Add the required amount of yeast and sugar, mix thoroughly, leave to ferment.
3. Three days later, on the fourth, you can overtake the finished mash. It is better to drain the precipitate, but if a second distillation follows, then you can leave it.
4. If you strictly follow the recipe, the result after the first distillation is two liters of the strongest moonshine. You need to dilute it 1: 1 with water and drive it a second timeat the distiller.
5. To get the perfect drink, you can make a third distillation. Purify with egg white or charcoal. Some use regular activated charcoal from the first aid kit.
6. Bread wine thus obtained at home (polugar) has a strength of 42 to 45 degrees. With all this, the drink is easy to drink, has a mild bready taste. For a snack, the Russian feast recommends meat, fish dishes, various pickles.

Bread wine without yeast (moonshine)

In Russia, a strong drink made from rye, wheat, oats, barley with the addition of wild yeast has been popular since ancient times. Now alcoholic homemade drinks are no longer so popular, but for lovers of their own natural product, this recipe will come in handy.

Bread moonshine has a special taste that is not inherent in other similar drinks. It has a slightly noticeable taste of grain, you need to drink it chilled, the minimum strength is 32 degrees. If rye was taken as a raw material, the taste of moonshine turns out to be rich, tart; from wheat sourdough, the drink turns out to be softer. The classic drink does not include the addition of extra spices (cinnamon, anise and others).

Cooking steps

Growing wild yeast. Rinse 4 kg of wheat in running water, pour evenly into a 25 liter container. Pour clean water 2 cm higher. Add 800 gsugar and mix well. Leave in a dark place for 5 days. When you smell the sour smell, you will know that the yeast is ready.

Preparation of syrup. In warm water (15 liters) stir 3 kg of sugar. Pour the syrup into a container with wheat. Cover tightly with a lid. Leave to ferment for 6 days. The temperature should be between 22 and 28 degrees.

Distillation. Braga carefully drain without sediment. Distill on a moonshine still. You should get 3 liters of bread moonshine. Its strength reaches 79 degrees. It is better to dilute the drink with clean water to 45-50 degrees.

Cleaning. To clean the drink from fusel oils, manganese is used. Add a few crystals to the bottle. After a few days, black flakes will fall out at the bottom. After that, you need to filter the moonshine. Lay several layers of gauze in a watering can, laying it with either cotton wool or crushed coal. On the topmost layer, you need to pour 1 teaspoon of soda and sugar. In a small stream, pass the drink through the watering can. Change the filter after every three liters. To improve the taste, filtered moonshine should be infused for 3-5 days.