Making moonshine at home is quite painstaking, requiring a long time. But according to experts, the result is worth it. To give the drink a beautiful color and a pleasant aroma, it is practiced keeping vodka on wood chips, bark made from various trees (oak, cherry, plum, apple tree, pear, etc.) or in a wooden barrel. Let us consider in more detail the rules for preparing the necessary raw materials and brewing moonshine on cherry chips.
Selection of wood raw materials
You can insist on moonshine made from any improvised raw materials (cereals, berries, sugar beets, etc.). In its pure form, it does not have a very pleasant smell and taste. But if this drink is kept for some time on oak, cherry, plum, pear or other wood chips, in a barrel, then the substances that make up the wood will give it a beautiful amber color and the spicy taste of expensive cognac or whiskey. Therefore, it is necessary to seriously approach the issue of choosing the right wood material.
Important! Once used chips can be used 3-5 times more without any preparation.
Wood chips
The most common way to brew moonshine is to insist it on cherry chips.
It is convenient in that:
- suitable for any capacity;
- It is inexpensive;
- can be prepared at home or purchased in a store;
- depending on the aging time, a very different result is obtained, both in color and in taste, which can be adjusted independently.
Training
Experienced experts recommend using fresh wood (a branch, a trunk) to make cherry chips. The age of the tree directly affects the quality of the tincture. The older it is, the more it contains a variety of resins, tannins, which give the drinks the necessary qualities.
It is best that the thickness of the branch is more than 5 cm. Chips can be made of different sizes, given the fact that they should be easily placed in containers for brewing moonshine. They are made on chippers or manually with an ax. Prepare the wood by roasting or soak in other alcohol.
Burning
The firing method is that the raw materials are placed in an oven heated to a temperature of +120 ... + 210 °, and left there for a certain time. Each master individually selects the time the wood stays in the oven, which affects the further taste, smell and color of the future drink.
Did you know? In the UK, moonshine and moonshine are called the "Moonlight".
Firing before the first haze gives a slight aftertaste of fruit and flowers. When there is smoke with a smell - the aroma of caramel and spices will be added. If the wood changes its color, the drink will taste with a chocolate tint.
Soaking in other alcohol
To soak the raw materials in other alcohol, you need to prepare cubes 3-5 cm in size. They will easily pass through the neck of any container and will give away the absorbed liquid for a long time.
But depending on the thickness and size of the wood, the duration of its soaking will differ, namely:
- cubes 1-2 cm in size for 30-50 hours;
- cubes 3-5 cm for 1-3 weeks;
- chips with a thickness of 2-5 mm for 10-15 hours.
For soaking, you can use alcoholic beverages of any strength.
How to and how much it is necessary to insist on moonshine
There is no one single rule for brewing moonshine on cherry chips. Each manufacturer focuses on their preferences. But still, it is recommended to adhere to an approximate proportion of 3 to 15 g of wood per 1 liter of distillate.
For this, glass or enameled containers with well-closing lids are required. First they put wood chips, then pour moonshine. You can insist from several weeks to 1 year, depending on the desired result. Due to the fact that the cherry does not contain tannins, the infused drink will have a pleasant smell and sweet taste. Containers with moonshine must be kept in dark rooms at a temperature of +10 ... + 15 ° С.Important! To prepare the chips, you need to choose only raw and healthy wood, which will provide the drink with a pronounced taste and give an amber hue.
If the temperature is higher, repeated fermentation may occur and the product will turn sour. And if on the contrary it decreases, all processes will slow down. The finished drink needs to be poured into glass bottles, stored in a cool dark place.
The best recipes for cherry chips
On cherry chips you can make a drink according to several recipes.
Recipe 1
3 L 15 min.
lemon acid
1.5 tsp
Energy value per 100 g:
- Pour pure cherries with water, bring to a boil, cook for 15 minutes.
- Strain boiled berries through cheesecloth.
- Add citric acid, sugar to the broth, cook for another 10 minutes.
- Cool the syrup to room temperature, pour moonshine into it.
- Put wood chips in the prepared container, pour in the drink, close tightly.
- Put in a dark cool place and insist for at least 15 days, taking a sample every day and determining how much more you need to keep it.
- Then strain through cotton wool and pour into glass bottles.
Recipe 2
1 L 30 min.
Energy value per 100 g:
- Cook the cooked raw materials on the grill of the oven.
- Put wood at a rate of 20-30 g per 1 liter of moonshine in the container, close the lid.
- Keep in a dark cool place for 3 to 6 months, tasting once a week.
- Pour the infused drink into bottles, strain through cheesecloth.
- Keep in a dark cool place for another 5 days and can be consumed.
Did you know? The strongest vodka is made in Scotland and has a strength of 88.8 °.
Experienced manufacturers of home-brew argue that no expensive alcoholic beverages can compare with a product made with their own hands and at home. Indeed, in this case, you can conduct various experiments, creating your own alcoholic masterpieces that will meet individual requirements and taste. And especially if they are infused with cherry chips.
