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Making moonshine begins with mash. To make the final product drinkable and pleasant to taste, you need to use high-quality mash. And this is only possible if the mash is clarified before distillation.
Why do they lighten the mash?
First, let's define what a brew is. Braga is a ready-made alcoholic product that can be used as an independent drink or as a basis for further distillation into moonshine.
Braga is produced by fermenting sugar or other ingredients used in moonshine brewing.
Experienced moonshiners advise that clarification be carried out before distillation in order to remove yeast from the liquid. If this is not done, then the moonshine will not look very beautiful: it will not be transparent, but gray. In addition, when yeast gets into the moonshine still, it begins to burn. As a result, moonshine acquires an unpleasant smell and taste.
What you need to know about preparing mash for cleaning
Before you start clarifying the mash, you need to make sure it is ready. It must be completely fermented. If the fermentation process is not completed, then during cleaning the mash the sediment will not fall to the bottom, but will continue to bubble, occupying almost half of the total volume.
You can forcefully complete the fermentation process by heating the mash to 60° or, conversely, keeping it in a cold place for several hours.
Methods for cleaning and clarifying mash
Cleaning and brightening can be done in a variety of ways. Let's talk about the most popular methods:
1. Natural lightening.
The easiest, no-cost cleaning. Spontaneous clarification occurs a few days after the fermentation process is completed. Yeast stops working when the amount of alcohol in the liquid reaches 12%. They seem to fall asleep, after which they settle at the bottom of the container. All that remains is to carefully drain the mash from the sediment.
Cold lightening can also be called a natural method. Yeast activity slows down at temperatures below 18°. If the mash is placed in a cold room, with a temperature of 5–10°, for 3 days, the yeast will fall to the bottom in a dense sediment. The cleared liquid is poured into a clean container.
2. Cleansing with bentonite.
The method of cleaning mash with bentonite is considered quite effective. Bentonite is a mineral also called white clay. This substance is used in various industries, in food production. There is a special type of bentonite for winemaking.
Clarifying mash with bentonite has its advantages:
- white clay binds substances, causing the formation of flakes, which then settle to the bottom;
- bentonite kills microorganisms;
- remains chemically neutral to alcohol compounds in the mash;
- the rapid sedimentation process saves time;
- qualitatively cleans liquid from all kinds of impurities and odors.
The disadvantage of cleaning mash with bentonite is that it is difficult to find specially white clay for winemaking on sale. Another disadvantage is the reduction in the volume of mash, up to 10%, due to the removal of part of the liquid with sediment.
The technology for clarifying mash with bentonite consists of performing the following steps:
- To clean the mash, you need to follow the following proportions: take 50 g of bentonite per 10 liters of drink.
- Dissolve the clay in hot water to obtain a homogeneous mass.
- Gradually pour the clay solution into the mash, mix the components well.
- Leave the brew for a day.
- When the drink brightens, drain the sediment.
3. Cleansing with hibiscus tea.
Sudanese rose petals contain a large amount of acids, which accelerate the process of suppressing microorganisms, as well as the precipitation of yeast.
How to clean hibiscus mash:
- To clarify the mash using this method, you need to take the components in the following proportion: 70 g of hibiscus flowers per 10 liters of the drink being purified.
- Pour 1 liter of water over the petals and put on fire, stirring constantly.
- Allow the liquid to simmer, but do not boil.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Pour the tea into the mash and leave for a day.
- Before distillation, drain the liquid from the sediment.
The peculiarity of this method is that the purified mash becomes red. But this does not in any way affect the taste of the product..
Quite often, fruits, berries or jam from them are used to make mash. The methods listed above clean and clarify the mash well, and remove remaining yeast from the drink. But they do the same with the fruit component.
And as a result, moonshine will lose the original aroma and taste of the fruits that were taken as its base..
Gelatin, used when cleaning mash, allows you to preserve the aroma of the original raw material.
How to lighten with gelatin:
- For 10 liters of drink you will need 2 g of gelatin.
- Pour gelatin into a container and add 400 ml of cold water.
- Leave to swell for 24 hours. But at the same time, you need to replace the water every 8 hours.
- Pour 400 ml of warm water into the infused mixture, then add it to the mash.
- The cleansing process takes approximately 3 days.
- As soon as a precipitate forms, carefully drain the liquid and distill.
5. Cleaning with paper filters.
This clarification process can be called the fastest, since you don’t have to wait for sediment to form – cleansing occurs immediately.
To perform cleaning you will need special filter paper or a large number of paper filters. The essence of the method is as follows: paper is placed in a funnel, after which the mash is slowly poured. Yeast and its metabolic products settle on the walls of the filters. During the cleaning process, the paper should be replaced promptly.
Another advantage of this method is that there is no loss of liquid volume, since only yeast is removed.
Video on the topic
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.
Hi all! Today I will talk about how to lighten with bentonite. I'll tell you what this thing is, where to get it and how to use it correctly. Cleaning mash with bentonite is very simple, as you will now see.
Why lighten the mash?
You probably know as well as I do why you should lighten the mash, but I’ll tell you briefly just in case. After fermentation, dead yeast remains in the mash, which burns during distillation. This gives the final product an unpleasant odor. It also produces harmful compounds.
The easiest way to clarify is to put the fermentation container in the cold and wait a couple of days. This is easy to do in winter, but what to do when it’s summer? In this case, bentonite will come to our aid. It will not only coat the mash at room temperature, but will also do it much faster than cold (there have been cases when 15 minutes was enough).
What is bentonite
Bentonite is a type of natural clay. It is used in construction, agriculture, mechanical engineering, etc. Even in the manufacture of rubber for tires and as cat litter.
But the most interesting thing for you and me is that it is used for fining (lightening) wines. And for quite a long time - since the 30s of the last century in the USA and from the 60s in the USSR.
The thing is that this clay has excellent adsorbing properties. It binds dead yeast, microorganisms, proteins, etc. and precipitates with them. In other words, it collects all the dregs from the mash and lowers it to the bottom. The result is a purified and clarified mash. All we have to do is decant it (drain it from the sediment).
Where to get bentonite
The easiest way to buy it is in specialized stores for winemakers. I recommend doing just that. It is inexpensive, and you will definitely receive exactly the right bentonite for winemaking, ready for use.
If there is no opportunity or desire to buy wine bentonite, then you can purchase it at a regular Pet Store. The fact is that bentonite is used as cat litter. Read the composition carefully, it should indicate that the filler consists of 100% clay and there are no flavorings.
But even such a filler does not always give the desired effect. Plus it still needs to be prepared for use. I’ll tell you about the preparation in the next section, but for now I’ll give examples of well-established manufacturers of toilet fillers: Pi-Pi-Bent, CatSan, WC Closet Cat, Kotyara.
I don’t recommend using any others, because... not all work well. If you have experience using a manufacturer not included in this list, write about it in the comments.
How to use
I want to warn you right away. It is necessary to clarify the completely fermented mash at room temperature. If the process is still ongoing, then nothing will happen.
If you are sure that fermentation is over, then proceed to fining. If in doubt, it is better to heat the mash to 50 degrees. At this temperature, all the yeast will definitely die.
Attention! Do not dispose of used bentonite down the drain. It clogs the pipes so that they can only be cleaned mechanically!
- Applications of wine bentonite
- We measure out the required amount of bentonite. The instructions say that a standard 20 gram sachet is enough for 23 liters of liquid. I usually use a ratio of 1.5 grams per liter for a 10 liter fermentation tank. When increasing volumes, it is better to increase the amount of clay in proportion.
For reference: if you don’t have exact scales, then use the following guide: half a teaspoon ≈ 2 grams, a heaped tablespoon ≈ 20 grams.
But it’s better to buy electronic scales, of course. They will come in handy more than once in our business. You can order among the Chinese. Rubles for 350.
- Fill with cold water 1 to 10, mix and leave to swell for 2-3 hours.
- When the clay swells, mix it again and slowly pour it into the fermentation container, while actively stirring the mash.
- Lightening can last from 15 minutes to a day. Usually I cover a 10 liter bottle in 20 minutes, a 20 liter bottle in 40-50.
- If you decide to use toilet filler
- We take the filler at the rate of 2-3 tablespoons per 20 liters of mash.
- Grind into powder in a coffee grinder.
- Pour the powder into a jar, add warm water (250 ml) and stir until smooth.
- Pour the resulting solution into the mash.
You don’t have to dirty the coffee grinder or grind it (although it’s better to grind it anyway). Simply pour the filler into a jar of warm water, close the lid tightly and shake vigorously to prevent the bentonite from clumping. Shake the jar 4 times at intervals of 5 minutes.
Video
Below is a visual video from one of my colleagues from YouTube. Lightens right before your eyes.
Now you know how to lighten mash using bentonite. Difficult? I also think not. Be sure to tell us in the comments how it turned out for you? Also indicate which bentonite you used. In conclusion, I will say that this is not the only way to paste mash. I'll tell you about others soon. And for today I say goodbye to you.
Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.
As a rule, after fermentation, yeast remains in the mash, which is evenly distributed throughout the entire volume of the product. They are what give the liquid its cloudy appearance. If you start distilling such a product, then a certain part of the yeast will end up in the distillation cube, and later in 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 apparatus and can burn, which ultimately does not allow the contents of the tank to be heated evenly. To prevent yeast from getting into the apparatus, it is necessary to carry out a procedure such as clarifying 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, the final product may take on a gray and unpleasant tint to the eye. In addition, yeast greatly affects the taste of the drink. Thanks to clarification, you can obtain absolutely transparent alcohol of fairly high quality.
Natural clarification of the mash occurs several days after the end of all fermentation processes. Yeast stops “working” when about 12% alcohol is formed in the liquid. They fall into suspended animation and then simply precipitate to the bottom of the container. Many people resort to this method of lightening the mash with cold. Lowering the temperature to 2-5 °C causes the yeast to stop working and settle within 24 hours. However, there are other methods.
Temperature drop
The methods for lightening mash are completely different. In this case, one method may be effective for a sugar product, and another for a grain product. You can use cold to cleanse mash only when its strength is at least 11%. Only in this case you can not be afraid that the product will begin to sour, even if the natural lightening method takes a little longer.
For normal cleaning of the mash, a decrease in temperature to 5-7 ° C is required. To achieve this, just place the container with the mash in the refrigerator. If its volume is large, then it can be placed in the cellar. In such a situation, the purification of the drink will proceed more slowly. If danger arises, the clarification process must be completed urgently.
Applications of bentonite
Very often, mash is clarified with bentonite. The pros and cons of this method should be considered in more detail. Betonite is a mineral that belongs to the hydroluminosilicate group. This substance is often called white clay. Most often, bentonite is used in the production of ceramic products, as well as in hydraulic construction. The substance is capable of binding various protein compounds into flakes and then causing them to precipitate. It is thanks to this property that bentonite is often used in moonshine and winemaking.
The main disadvantage of clarifying mash in this way is the presence of certain equipment. In industrial conditions this does not pose any particular problems. At home, you can use various household appliances: mixers, blenders, coffee grinders.
Another drawback is that it is very difficult to find a special bentonite-based wine purifier on the open market. However, many experienced winemakers use the main component of which is. Such mixtures include products of the Catsan, Zoonik, and Pi-pi-Bent brands.
Clarification of mash before distillation with bentonite
You can only clean the mash in this way in which all fermentation processes have completely completed. Otherwise, there will be practically no effect. Sugar mash is best purified in this way. To clarify 10 liters of product, the following proportions must be observed:
- One tablespoon of bentonite-based cat litter, pre-ground in a coffee grinder.
- Half a liter of clean water, heated to a temperature of 60 °C.
The powder should be added gradually to the water. 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 this, the product must be left completely alone for some time. The sedimentation process takes place within 15-24 hours. After this, the 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 manufacturers’ recommendations. It is worth considering that some brands of cleaner must be used dry, without diluting in warm water.
We use hibiscus
Lightening hibiscus mash is another popular method. This method is based on the ability of various proteins to settle under the influence of acid. There is plenty of this component in dry petals. The cleaning process should begin by preparing a special solution based on hibiscus tea. To do this, you need to 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 this, the liquid must be removed from the heat and then cooled, carefully wrapped in a warm towel.
This amount of components is enough to clean 10 liters of mash. Before the procedure, it is recommended to heat the raw materials to 40 °C. Clarification of the mash with citric acid, which is part of the tea, is carried out within several days. A precipitate forms at the bottom of the container; all that remains is to drain the liquid suitable for distillation.
Features of this method
This method of clarifying mash has some features. First of all, the reddish-crimson tint of the filtrate should be highlighted. It comes from hibiscus tea. However, this feature does not affect the taste of the final product.
This cleaning method is ideal for making grain-based mash. After all, they contain a huge number of particles that are very difficult to filter out. Of course, clarification of hibiscus mash also has a clear advantage - it preserves a fairly pleasant bready aroma.
Milk for cleaning
The proteins that make up milk have a unique ability. They coagulate easily. In this case, insoluble compounds are created during the distillation process. Experienced winemakers recommend clarification of the mash only. The product should be poured into the liquid approximately a few hours before distillation in a ratio of 1:10. In other words, this method is an additional one.
Often, simply draining the sludge 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 using denser cotton material.
How to lighten fruit mash
Very often, various berry or fruit jams are used to prepare moonshine. In this case, clarification of the mash with gelatin is suitable. This method is quite simple and does not cause any particular difficulties. It is worth noting that cleaning fruit mash should be more gentle and gentle. It is best to use a coagulant of animal origin. Gelatin is one of these products.
This method also has a clear advantage. Gelatin makes the final product more environmentally friendly. In addition, this method of clarification requires low financial costs. After all, 10 liters of raw materials require only a few grams of gelatin, which is first recommended to be filled with a glass of water, preferably cold. The product should swell. The resulting jelly-like substance must be heated before use, but not boiled. Gelatin should completely dissolve. The finished composition should be carefully introduced into the mash. It takes about three days to completely purify the raw materials. This method is often used in the production of all kinds of fruit wines.
Other methods
Processing the mash is a very important stage. 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 spoons of powder per 10 liters of raw materials. This method is best used before clarifying 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 too high before distillation. As practice shows, such manipulations with mash are necessary. Thanks to this processing, the final product does 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 material and the taste of the drink. The method is suitable for processing grain and fruit raw materials.
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.