Apple moonshine as a base for Calvados, brandy and apple liqueur. Proper moonshine from apples - mash recipes and distillation

Fruit moonshine is popular in all countries and is prepared from those fruits that grow in a particular area. In central Russia, apple trees are abundant in orchards, which is why apple moonshine is a drink familiar to many. And they even call it a beautiful word: Calvados, or, as it is also called (especially if it is not produced in France), apple brandy.

Peculiarities. Double-distilled apple mash is not Calvados or brandy. For moonshine to become so, it is aged in oak barrels (up to 20 years!).

More often, mash is made from carrion - fruits that are discarded by a tree overloaded with harvest already during ripening. This type of moonshine is especially popular among summer residents. A city dweller who does not have a dacha can buy a dozen or two kilograms of inconspicuous apples, which are sold in abundance and cheap at the market during the season. But all the ingredients require preliminary preparation.

Apples

The varieties are not particularly important, but choose apples responsibly:

Despite the fact that fallen fruits are most often used, they must be unspoiled. Do not take fresh blows into account, the main thing is that there is no rot. If there is a rotten spot somewhere, cut it off - it should not get into the mash;

if you make mash with yeast, wash the apples, but there is no need to peel them;
For mash made with wild yeast that lives on the surface of the fruit, apples are not washed. It is also undesirable to use fruits collected after rain;
Although removing seeds may seem like a waste of time, it is not. The seeds and seed pods remaining in sliced apples can cause bitterness in moonshine from such mash, which cannot be removed even by secondary distillation.

Important. Both seeds and rot cause an unpleasant odor and aftertaste in the distillate.

Therefore, be sure to cut out the core, and either do not use rotten fruits at all, or trim them carefully.

Yeast

The best are dry yeast for fruit moonshine (there is this type, you can buy it in specialized stores). The quantity is taken according to the instructions on the package. Fermentation time – up to 5 days.
An equally good option is to use wine yeast. Be prepared for the fact that a week will pass from setting up the mash to distillation.
In practice, they are more often used dry or compressed yeast. The calculation here is somewhat less than when setting it, and it is in the recipes. The wort will ferment in 1-2 weeks.

Wild yeast. They live on the skin of the product and can ferment the wort no worse than store-bought ones, leaving the taste intact. One bad thing is that fermentation can last up to a month and a half.

Advice. To be on the safe side, use additional unwashed raisins, which start fermentation perfectly.

Sugar

Its amount depends on the degree of sweetness of the fruit. Although, when working with sweet apples, you don’t have to add it at all, the presence of this ingredient will increase the alcohol yield without reducing the apple flavor.

Please note. Apples of summer varieties have an average sugar content of 9%. That is, 35 kg of apples contain 3150 kg of sugar.

Agree, processing 35 kg of fruit and getting only 3 liters of moonshine is not enough. Therefore, it is better to use sugar, but in quantities not exceeding the recommendations of proven recipes.

Making mash from apples for moonshine

Depending on how many apples you have, what quality and sweetness they are, choose a recipe and add mash. Moreover, you can use freshly picked fruits, dried fruits, juice, and even the remaining juice.

Whole apple recipe

Before putting in the mash, the apples should be prepared: trim off the spoiled parts, cut and remove the core. Then grind into puree using a blender or meat grinder.

For 30 kg of unprocessed apples, take:

20 liters of water;
3-4 kg of sugar;
200 g pressed or 20 g dry yeast.

Place the resulting puree into a fermentation container (its capacity is at least 45 liters) and add 18 liters of lukewarm water. Boil syrup from sugar and 2 liters of water and add to the wort. Take your temperature. If it is 30°C or higher, wait until it cools down.

Prepare the yeast: add a pinch of sugar and a little water at a temperature of 25-29°C. Wait until they come up and add to the wort.

Leave the container under the lid or air seal in a warm place. When the cake floats to the surface, forming a plug, destroy it so that fermentation proceeds correctly and nothing interferes with the release of the invariably formed carbon dioxide. After 7-10 days, the mash is ready for distillation.

From apple juice

If there are a lot of apples, you can squeeze the juice out of them and put in the mash without adding water. The disadvantage of this method is a certain depletion of the organoleptics of moonshine, which needs skin and pulp for a special note.

Proportions for 10 liters of juice:

sugar – 1 kg;
yeast - 70-80 g pressed, 8-10 g dry. 3-4 g of wine is enough.

Advice. If you have had apple juice stored for future use in your cellar for a couple of years, it can also be processed into moonshine.

But it is advisable to add fresh juice, or even better, fresh applesauce. This will give the moonshine a pronounced apple note. No water is added to the mash.

How to make from dried apples?

Take:

20 liters of water;
3 kg dried apples;
5 kg sugar;
400 g pressed yeast or 40 g dry.

Place apples in a saucepan of sufficient volume, add water and boil for 10 minutes. Add all the sugar to the hot mixture and dissolve.

The mash will be ready in about a week. Remove it from the sediment and distill it twice.

From cake

Thrifty owners never waste anything. Even juice squeezes are suitable for putting mash on them. The taste of the finished product in this case does not differ from ordinary apple moonshine.

Ingredients:

10 kg apple pulp;
1-1.5 kg of sugar;
25 liters of water;
50 g of raw yeast (dry - 40 g, wine - 5-7 g).

Attention. If the apples were used whole (passed through a press or a powerful juicer) along with the core and tails, try to ferment the wort as soon as possible to avoid bitterness. It is better to use yeast for fruit mash or turbo.

Pour the cake into the fermentation container with water heated to 25-30 degrees. Install a water seal and place in a warm place. Fermentation time depends on the type of yeast - from several days to 2 weeks.

Apple wort fermentation technology

Fermentation of apple mash is not too different from other types of wort. But be sure to take into account some nuances:

At the first stage of fermentation, a lot of foam may occur, so the fermentation container should be stocked.
After a day, stir the risen cake to allow free release of carbon dioxide.
When using a recipe that requires rapid fermentation (up to a week), you can cover the fermentation container with a lid.
When fermenting with wild yeast, using a water seal (glove) is mandatory.
Shake the first few days to break up the dense plug of cake.

Features of distillation

It is necessary to follow the distillation rules common to all mash:

be sure to strain the mash before distillation to prevent burning, which will spoil the taste;
wash all parts of the moonshine still thoroughly;
distill for the first time, selecting the distillate to a strength in a stream of 30°;
dilute the first distillation to a total strength of 20-25° and distill a second time - dividing into fractions.

Double distillation, although it somewhat reduces the aroma and taste of moonshine, makes it cleaner, freeing it from a significant amount of fusel oils.

Distillation secrets

Apple moonshine is perhaps the most popular homemade alcoholic drink after grape and plum moonshine. For Russia (especially the middle zone), this fact is primarily due to the presence of a large number of apple trees in the gardens and vegetable gardens of local residents. The harvest of autumn 2014 is especially indicative - most gardeners simply did not know what to do with such a large number of apples... This is where our tips for making aromatic moonshine from this fruit at home would come in handy. So, comrades, let's go...) First, we need mash.

Recipe for excellent apple mash for moonshine

To prepare mash from apples (for its subsequent distillation), we will need the following ingredients:

ripe apples – 30 kg;
water – 20 liters;
granulated sugar – 4 kg;
dry yeast – 100-120 grams (for example, “Saf-Levure”).

Are the ingredients ready? Great! Let's proceed directly to preparing the mash...) The step-by-step algorithm is as follows:

Wash the apples and be sure to remove cores, seeds, cuttings and rotting areas (we only need the pulp and peel), then cut into medium-sized slices.
Grind the resulting mass of apple slices to a homogeneous (“mushy”) mass. Decide for yourself how best to do this. There are quite a lot of methods - you can use a grater, a crusher or a meat grinder (an electric one will undoubtedly be better)...
Place the “applesauce” from pulp and juice obtained in the previous step into a previously prepared container (flask, can) and fill with 18 liters of water.
Prepare syrup from the remaining 2 liters of water: dilute well with 4 kg of sugar and pour into a container with “applesauce”.
Dissolve dry yeast (100g) in warm water (35-40 degrees) and also add it to our fermentation container and mix everything thoroughly.
Close the flask and place in a warm, dark place for 8-10 days for fermentation. A day after the start of fermentation, a dense layer of pulp will appear on the surface of the mash, which will definitely need to be destroyed (just stir).
As soon as our apple mash becomes light and stops bubbling (after about 10 days), you can carefully drain it and start preparing moonshine.

Step two - prepare moonshine from apple mash

Before starting the process of preparing moonshine, the resulting mash can be filtered, but if you want to preserve the fragrant apple aroma in the drink as much as possible, then distill the unfiltered mash. However, remember that in this case it is necessary to ensure that the pulp does not burn - heat the moonshine still for several minutes over low heat, and only then raise the temperature to standard values. For distillation, you can use any of the ones presented in our online store.

Do not forget that during distillation it is very important to divide the entire yield into fractions: the first 250-350 ml of distillate (the so-called “heads”) with an unpleasant odor are collected in a separate container, since this liquid should not be drunk under any circumstances.

From the first distillation you get about 5 liters of moonshine with a strength of approximately 50 degrees. Before the secondary distillation (to improve the taste of the drink), we recommend adding a handful of dried and several pieces of fresh apples to the moonshine, leave for 3 days, strain, add 3 liters of water and only then re-distill.

The result of all your efforts will be 3 liters of the purest, aromatic moonshine from apples with a strength of 60-65 degrees.

Moonshine from apples is a popular alcoholic drink that is easy to prepare at home. You can also use low-quality fruits for it; fallen or overripe fruits are suitable. Apple mash has a characteristic pleasant smell, which will remain in the finished drink during distillation. Apple moonshine, if prepared correctly and following safety recommendations, can be an excellent alternative to even expensive store-bought alcohol.

Apple mash is obtained through the process of fermentation of raw materials, which occurs with the release of ethyl alcohol. In some cases, the mash can be consumed in its pure form, but it is better to distill it to cleanse it of harmful impurities. This product is especially popular because apples in season have a very low cost, and the finished drink retains its characteristic taste and smell. Moonshine on apples is valued for its benefits:

ease of preparation;
low cost of raw materials;
the presence of a large number of recipes - for mash you can use any varieties and parts of fruit;
original taste and aroma that is not lost during the distillation process of moonshine.

However, there are also disadvantages to preparing an apple-based distillate. These include:

duration of the process - fruit mash ferments longer;
the need to sort and peel fruit from the core;
sensitivity of raw materials to sugar - when it is added, a significant portion of the aroma is lost.

Apple moonshine is a simple and affordable product. Despite some disadvantages, it is easy to prepare at home. It's also a great way to use up leftovers from your harvest. Braga can also be prepared from apple peelings and pulp, which is obtained after squeezing the juice.

Apple mash recipe for moonshine

The simplest recipe for apple moonshine at home requires a minimum set of ingredients. Fruits of any variety and quality are suitable as the main raw material. It is better to choose sweeter varieties, but the taste can be adjusted with additional sugar. You will also need clean water and yeast - they speed up the fermentation process of the wort.

Despite the fact that moonshiners prefer to prepare classic moonshine with apples and yeast, there are other variations:

apple mash without yeast;
a drink made from the pomace (cake) that remains after juicing;
moonshine with fresh homemade juice.

Moonshine from apples is prepared in several stages. First you need to prepare and combine all the components of the mash that will undergo fermentation processes. Apples are peeled from the core and spoiled areas, cut or crushed in a blender or juicer. The raw materials are then mixed with the remaining components and placed in a warm room to carry out the fermentation process. If you put the mash with yeast, it will be ready for subsequent distillation in 10-15 days. The yeast-free recipe is longer - the mash will infuse for more than a month, for 40-45 days. There are no specific rules on how to properly prepare high-quality moonshine with the addition of apples - it depends on a large number of factors and personal preferences.

Making apple mash

Apple mash for moonshine is a product of yeast fermentation of fruits. The process takes place at room temperature with the release of ethyl alcohol. The main thing is to select high-quality components and combine them in the correct proportions. For 30 kg of apples you will need 20 liters of water, as well as sugar (about 4 kg, the amount depends on the type of apple) and yeast (20 g dry or 100 g pressed). Next, you can start preparing the mash:

peel the fruit from seeds and cores, cut into small slices, remove rotten or moldy areas;
grind the raw materials to a homogeneous mass (optional) - for this use large graters, blenders, meat grinders or special attachments for a drill;
Place the pureed raw material in a fermentation container;
add water, if necessary, dissolving sugar in it first;
dilute dry yeast with water (its temperature should not exceed 30 degrees), add wild yeast in its pure form;
close the neck of the fermentation tank with a water seal, leave it at a temperature of 18-28 degrees for the required time;
after 4-10 days, the mash is ready for further distillation; the mixture without yeast should spend at least 45 days in the container.

The simplest mash for moonshine can be prepared even from those apples that are not suitable for fresh consumption. Fruits that have fallen from the branches, spoiled or rotten apples are suitable for it. It is enough to cut off all such areas with a knife, otherwise they can affect the taste, smell and quality of the finished moonshine.

Fermentation of apple mash

Apple mash for moonshine must undergo certain preparation. Fermentation occurs due to the activation of yeast cultures in the absence of oxygen. When using baker's yeast, the procedure takes about a week; wine yeast will ferment for about 3 weeks. During this time, the cake will rise to the surface of the liquid, and it must be periodically knocked down so that it does not sour. When the mash is ready, the raw materials will settle to the bottom, and the color of the liquid will become lighter. There is no need to strain the mash before distillation - it is used together with apple pulp.

In moonshine brewing it is difficult to do without containers with a hydraulic seal. The fact is that during fermentation carbon dioxide is formed in large quantities. For 1 liter of alcohol, approximately 4 square meters of gas are obtained. If you do not remove it in time, the container will not withstand the increasing pressure from the inside. However, when removing carbon dioxide, it is important to prevent oxygen from entering - in its presence, fermentation processes are impossible. It is for this task that a water seal is installed. In addition, it can serve as an indicator of stable fermentation. As soon as the emission of bubbles stops, the mash is considered ready for subsequent processing.

Distillation of apple mash

Distillation of mash is carried out to clean it from harmful impurities. Although some people use it in its pure form, this product contains components that can lead to serious poisoning. The distillation process takes place using steam or in a conventional distiller. Experienced moonshiners have several important recommendations:

carry out the first distillation without separation into fractions;
during the second distillation, heads are taken (50-70 ml from each liter);
then pure alcohol without impurities is formed;
when its quantity decreases to 40%, the tails are selected;
the heads can be used in joint rubs, and the tails can be added to a new batch of mash.

Between the primary and secondary distillations, you can additionally infuse moonshine with fresh apples. This will absorb the aroma of the fruit and make it richer. The finished drink has a strength of about 65-68 degrees. If you dilute it with water, it will not become less quality.

Cooking variations

In addition to the usual apple moonshine recipe, there are variations. Fruit processing products or juice are also suitable for its preparation. Each recipe has its own characteristics.

Moonshine from apple pomace can be prepared if the raw materials are left over from the juice production. This option will require less raw materials than when producing moonshine from whole apples.
Moonshine made from apples without yeast - this recipe is more labor-intensive and requires lengthy preparation, but it also exists. The products' own yeast is called wild and also participates in fermentation processes with the formation of ethyl alcohol. You can add raisins or cereals to apple mash without yeast.
Another variety is moonshine made with apple juice. It is simply mixed with yeast and sugar and left in the fermentation vessel. Home brew made with apple juice is no less aromatic than a drink made with whole fruit.

Moonshine from apple pulp, from juice or from chopped fresh fruits - all these recipes exist and are used in practice. At home, to prepare this drink, you need to install special equipment, but if you have knowledge and experience, you can assemble it yourself. Moonshine made with your own hands is of no less quality than the products presented on store shelves. In addition, it is always possible to track the freshness of raw materials and control the process from the very beginning.

You can prepare many proven alcohol recipes at home. Homemade apple moonshine has a pleasant aroma of apples and is very popular among home distillers. There is a huge amount of raw materials for making mash, the cost of apples in dacha villages is very low, and the countryside is full of abandoned orchards where you can pick up the required amount of fruit for moonshine for free.

Any varieties of apples and apples are suitable for the drink; the sweeter the fruit, the less sugar is required. As raw materials for apple moonshine, you can use apple pulp, cake left over from juice production, as well as dry fruits and apple juice. Apples can be used to make not only moonshine or Calvados, but also delicious light cider and drinking mash; it can replace a mug of rye kvass in the summer heat. Below are proven and simple recipes for making fruit mash for moonshine.

Apple mash - a classic recipe

Ingredients:

Ripe apples – 15 kg;
Water – 10 l;
Granulated sugar – 2 kg;
Dry yeast – 10 gr.

Preparation:

Ripe fruits of any variety can be washed assorted, rotten areas cut out, stalks removed, cores with seeds cut out. Cut the fruit into small slices.
Grate the apple slices. If there are large volumes of raw materials, it is easier to use a fruit crusher or feed cutter.
Place the crushed apple mass in a suitable glass bottle and add 9 liters of water.
Add granulated sugar to the remaining water and stir the solution until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add syrup to apple mixture.
Ferment the yeast in warm water at 25-28°C; in the recipe you can use pressed yeast in an amount of 50 grams. Add the diluted yeast to the applesauce and stir the contents of the bottle.
Install a water seal on the bottle and leave to ferment in a warm room for 1-2 weeks. During fermentation, you periodically need to stir and heat the apple cap that forms on the surface of the mash.
You can determine the readiness of the mash using a hydrometer, the mash should show 0-1% sugar, the finished mash from apples does not taste sweet, a sediment forms at the bottom of the bottle, and the release of carbon dioxide stops. Distilling mash, how to get moonshine from apples is described below.

Video recipe - apple moonshine

Moonshine from apple juice

There is often a sufficient amount of apple juice left in the cellar for the new harvest. And the juice is an excellent component for preparing high-quality moonshine at home. Of course, moonshine made from juice is somewhat inferior to alcohol made from fresh apples, but nevertheless it turns out to be a decent drink, which will be much better if it is infused with oak chips or aged in an oak barrel. The result will be a kind of homemade Calvados.

Compound:

Apple juice -10 l;
Dry yeast – 20 g;
Granulated sugar -2 kg.

Preparation:

Pour 9 liters into a plastic or glass container. juice Add sugar to the rest of the juice and stir. Add syrup to container, stir.
Dissolve yeast in warm water as described in the instructions. Add to fermentation container and stir contents.
Put a rubber medical glove on the neck of the container or install a water seal. Place the container in a dark, warm room for fermentation. Typically, fermentation ends after 2-3 weeks. Gas evolution stops, apple juice mash tastes bitter and has an alcoholic smell.
Carefully drain the mash from the sediment, pour it into the moonshine still and run it twice. Keep the resulting moonshine in bottles for 2-3 days before use.

Apple mash recipe without yeast

You can make apple mash without yeast, or rather with wild yeast, which is found on the fruit itself, or add raisins, or replace it with sprouted wheat. The result is a wonderful, natural drink with little alcohol content. This apple mash can be consumed as a thirst-quenching drink in the summer heat.

Ingredients:

Sweet apples – 10 kg;
Water – 3l;
Granulated sugar – 3 kg;
Raisins – 100g.

Cooking method:

Well-ripened, sweet apples should be cleared of debris; there is no need to wash them in order to preserve as much wild yeast as possible on the surface of the fruit. Grate the fruits until smooth.
Place the puree in an enamel pan, pour in 1.5 liters of water and add 1 kg of sugar. Cover the pan with gauze and place in a warm place for two days.
Pour the fermented mass into a glass bottle, pour in the remaining water and add the remaining sugar and raisins. Install a water seal on the vessel and leave it to ferment in a warm place until the process is completed.
Pour the fermented wort into bottles, cool and drink. You can distill such mash. You will get excellent apple flavored moonshine.

Moonshine recipe from apple pomace

During the preparation of juice, a lot of by-products remain - cake. There are still a lot of sugars and aromatic substances left in the cake, so these residues can be used to make a good basis for future moonshine. In some recipes, yeast is not added to the mash, assuming that fermentation will occur with wild yeast, but it is better to play it safe and add a small amount of yeast, preferably wine yeast, of course. Otherwise, there is a risk that the mash will turn sour and all the raw materials will have to be thrown into a garbage pit.

Compound:

Apple pomace – 10 kg;
Water – 30 l;
Sugar – 1kg;
Wine yeast – 6g.

Preparation:

Place the squeezed pulp into the fermentation container, add water at room temperature, and mix thoroughly. It is important to leave space in the container for the foam and cap of apple pulp that forms during vigorous fermentation.
Add granulated sugar, stir the mass, add the prepared yeast. Install a water seal on the container. And put it in a warm place.
Every day during fermentation it is necessary to stir and melt the “cap” of pulp and foam.
After 2-3 weeks, sometimes longer, fermentation stops and the apple mash is ready. The liquid must be drained carefully without touching the sediment. Then distill the moonshine.

Apple chacha

Dried fruit moonshine recipe

Compound:

Dry apples – 2kg
Water – 10l;
Granulated sugar – 3kg;
Yeast – 300g.

Cooking method:

Pour water over dried apples and boil for 20 minutes.
Add sugar, stir. Cool to 25-30°.
Add diluted yeast.
Ferment for 1-2 weeks in a warm place.
Remove from the sediment, strain, and distill into moonshine.

Moonshine from apples - distillation

For the first distillation at home, it is advisable to use a steam generator or steam-water boiler. With this distillation, the mash can not be filtered, but distilled with cake, thereby retaining more of the apple aroma in the taste. Otherwise, filter to avoid burning of the pulp.

To get high-quality moonshine from apples, you need to distill the mash twice. The first distillation is distilled to water, producing raw aromatic alcohol. Before the second distillation, you can add a few slices of fresh or dried apples to the apple moonshine to improve the taste. Infuse the moonshine for 3-4 days.

Then, after the first distillation, dilute the fruit moonshine with water to 20-30 degrees. And distill again, fractionally. At low power, select the head fractions drop by drop. The heads make up 10% of the amount of absolute alcohol. Then, at medium power, begin to select the drinkable part of the moonshine. Take the body up to 45-60° in the stream. Then dilute the distillate to the desired strength, bottle it, and let the drink mature for a week. The drink will be tastier if the moonshine is kept on oak chips.

Calvados is a pleasant drink in all respects, an aristocrat among moonshines, which is a pleasure to treat yourself and to serve to friends. Meanwhile, to prepare it, all you need is mash from apples for moonshine, which is then used in the usual way.

Suitable for making moonshine any apples from your garden, as well as carrion at the stage of almost ripe harvest. Such processing will reduce crop losses and benefit even from substandard fruits.

Let's look at how to properly organize the process so that the mash made from apples is a great success and in the end you get exactly the product you expected.

Preparation of raw materials

You don’t have to particularly select fruits, the main thing is that they are already ripe or almost ripe (this applies to a greater extent to carrion). Be sure to consider fruit acidity. If according to some recipes you can make mash from sweet apples with almost no added sugar, then for sour apples sugar is simply necessary.

Otherwise, you simply won’t get enough good taste and strength. To approximate determine sugar content and acidity, it is best to use the table:

In addition, you should know that these indicators depend not only on the variety, but also on the conditions of a particular year. For example, if the year is dry and the fruits are small, then the amount of sugar in apples will increase. In order for the apple juice mash to be ideal, you need to focus not only on the table, but also on your own sense of taste. That is, you should try the apples.

It is better not to wash fruits collected from the ground or picked from a tree, since the skin contains a waxy coating, which will certainly be washed off in water, that helps fermentation. They will provide a rich taste to the finished moonshine. If it rained the day before, the carrion is dirty; of course, it needs to be washed, but be sure to add unwashed fruits taken from the tree.

Yeast-free mash

To prepare yeast-free mash for moonshine, you need the following ingredients:

applesauce (as in the recipe above) – 10 kg;
sugar – 4 – 4.5 kg, depending on acidity;
raisins – 100 g (they can be replaced with the same amount of wheat sprouts).

We do not add water! Pour sugar directly into the puree and add raisins (sprouts).

Advice! Before preparing the mash this way, try preparing it from 0.5 kg of apples and 200 g of sugar (with or without adding raisins) and see how the fermentation process goes (it should start in 1.5 - 2 days) to adjust the recipe if necessary.

After 10 days - two weeks, you need to strain the juice from the cake (which can be reused for a new mash). You won’t get much of it – 5 – 6 liters. Add another glass of sugar per liter of juice and leave to ferment until the mash is ripe. This mash recipe takes a long time, but the end result is an excellent product.

Moonshine made from apples has a pleasant aroma, it is soft, easy to drink and will provide a pleasant aftertaste.