Is it possible to insist alcohol on oak bark. Oak bark tincture for alcohol and more: recipes, properties and contraindications

Hello colleagues!

My name is Sergey. I decided to respond to Pashin's call and take part in competition. I will tell you how to insist moonshine on oak bark and some herbs and spices. The resulting drink is called Dubrava homemade cognac and is one of my favorite drinks.

Once he brought it to work and did not say that it was his own production. So everyone liked it so much that they began to ask the brand of cognac.

Ingredients

• Moonshine 50% - 3 liters
• Oak bark - 3 tbsp. (I buy at the pharmacy)
• Oregano - 1 tbsp. (I buy at the pharmacy)
• St. John's wort - 1 tbsp. l. (I buy at the pharmacy)
• Carnation - 4-5 pcs.
• Allspice - 12-15 pcs.
• Honey - 1 tbsp. l. (can be replaced with sugar)
• Vanillin - on the tip of a knife
• Coriander - at the tip of a knife

Recipe

Actually there is nothing tricky here. The main thing is to use a high-quality base - moonshine of the second, and preferably of the third distillation.

1. The distillate is poured into a three-liter jar. Honey is stirred in it until completely dissolved. You can use sugar or fructose as an alternative.
2. I fall asleep all the ingredients, close the lid and remove the infusion for two weeks. Every 3-4 days I shake the jar several times.
3. I filter through a funnel with a cotton filter.
4. I give it another two or three weeks to rest.
5. I set the table, invite friends and have a good time.

Author's impressions

In general, "Dubrava" is a deeply redesigned variation Latgalian cognac. I started cooking it many years ago, somewhere in the early 90s, and gradually changed the amount and composition of the ingredients to suit my taste. As a result, the recipe offered to you was born.

The very name I spied on one well-known forum, where a colleague offered a very similar recipe. I really liked the name and I borrowed it.

Now about taste. It turns out a wonderful bouquet of aromas. Very balanced taste. I don’t even cool homemade cognac and drink in small sips from a small glass. The color is beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

In the photo, it is a little unclear, but this is rather an exception. Usually Oakwood is transparent. This time honey gave a lot of turbidity, I got a bad one. Even filtering didn't help.

Hope you enjoy the recipe. Try it and share yours. You can leave your wishes in the comments, I am a frequent guest on this blog.

Not everyone has the opportunity (and desire) to buy an oak barrel for aging moonshine in it. Maybe the use of a keg is right from a technological point of view. But just think - alcohol poured into a barrel is left alone in the cellar for a couple of years to get a good homemade brandy!

So our resourceful people came up with the insistence of moonshine on oak chips or even on the bark bought at the pharmacy. The method is convenient, accelerated, giving a result similar to that which needs to be achieved for three years!

The best result will be obtained if you use moonshine obtained from, or even by distilling a failed one.

The product of processing wine material into strong alcohol is also called cognac spirit. Already initially it has a pleasant taste and aroma, and upon contact with raw oak it acquires fruit, vanilla, chocolate and even floral notes. It depends on the quality of the oak chips or bark and the steeping time.

But moonshine (preferably with a strength of at least 45%), obtained using fruits, cereals (barley, wheat, corn, rye), sugar, is also suitable for infusion. Upon contact of strong alcohol with oak bark or wood, tannins gradually transform moonshine into a noble drink, changing color, aroma and taste.

It will take oak raw material. Other additives are also possible: spices, herbs, but more on that below, in the recipes for moonshine on oak bark or sawdust or wood chips.

An interesting aftertaste, aroma is obtained using apple or cherry wood.

Elite barrels are made from the middle part of a log of at least a hundred-year-old oak. Even under adverse growing conditions, the thickness of the log is from 30 cm in diameter. Therefore, having such a log, you still need to know how to make oak chips. Prick with an ax thin pegs 10 cm long and 2 cm thick.

Preparation of raw oak

Many people think that moonshine tincture on oak chips (bark) is prepared in an elementary way: add raw materials to a jar and wait until the liquid turns into or into brandy. In fact, it's more difficult.

Raw raw oak contains too many substances that are bad for the taste and organoleptic characteristics of alcohol. Therefore it need to prepare in advance.

In the manufacture of oak barrels, after the hoops are already stuffed on them, they are certainly fired: burning sawdust is thrown inside and the almost finished barrel is wrapped around its axis.

Each cooper adheres to his own technology and burns in his own way (letting the wood burn stronger or weaker) or focusing on the wishes of the client.

The processing of raw materials is based on the same technology. If wood chips are used for moonshine, the material needs certain processing steps:

1. Soak overnight in cold water. At the same time, twice (every 8 hours) the water is changed to a new one.
2. A day later, after draining the water, soda soaking is carried out: a spoonful of ordinary soda is diluted in 5 liters of warm water (it does not dissolve in cold water) for hours and chips are soaked for 6.
3. The washed raw materials are placed in a pot of water, boiled for 45 minutes (counting from the moment of boiling).
4. They take it out, wash it again and dry it in the air or in the attic for several days. The material must be dry.
5. Lay out on a baking sheet, put in the oven, which is preheated to 150 ° C. Here it is important to follow and burn to the condition you need. Get a medium roast in 2 hours.

From the degree to which the material is burned, the taste notes and aroma of the future tincture on oak wood depend:

• Light firing(for a barrel it is determined by a cooper by eye, when using crushed material it stops as soon as smoke appears) will give the tincture a subtle vanilla tint, fruit and flower notes will appear.
• Medium firing(with the appearance of smoke and smell, but no color change) provides more pronounced flavors: your moonshine will take on notes of coconut, almonds, caramel or spices.
• Strong firing(when the color of the wood begins to change, but it has not turned black), will saturate the final product with a smoky flavor and a hint of chocolate (real Scotch whiskey is aged in heavily toasted casks).

The aroma and taste tones depend not only on the degree of roasting, but also on the raw materials used. It is important that it be of high quality: not spoiled by insects or kept in adverse conditions, from a not too young tree. It's a good idea to use ready-made chips, so there is a certain quality guarantee.

You can store burnt, ready-to-eat raw materials for several years in a linen bag in a dry place.

Recipe for infusion on oak chips

The simplest moonshine recipe on oak chips includes only two ingredients: wood chips and strong homemade alcohol. You need to take a strong one (this is an indispensable condition, the fortress is at least 45 °, better - 50 or 60 °), and decide how much oak chips per liter of moonshine.

Usually you need to take 25 grams of wood chips. With a larger amount, an unpleasant aftertaste will appear, with a smaller amount, the drink will not pick up the desired aroma and color. Cooking order:

1. Cooking chips, as described above. Purchased in a store or on the Internet, oak chips for moonshine are already fried, you only need to choose the degree of roasting.
2. You can do nothing with freshly roasted raw materials. Both home-made and purchased wood chips that have lain for a while should be placed in the oven or under the microwave grill and fry a little so that a pleasant aroma appears, like from a burning fireplace. Make sure it doesn't really catch fire!
3. Add the right amount of wood chips to the jar of moonshine, close it tightly (you can even roll it up, it's not wine - it won't explode), put it in the basement, and forget it for 2-3 months.
4. About once a week, watch how the color changes and take a sample for organoleptic indicators. At moonshine on oak chips, the shade gradually changes: first to yellowish, and then to cognac. Taste and aroma change.
5. Next, the moonshine on oak chips should be drained, filtered if necessary, and let it rest in the glass for another 5 days. This will help stabilize and reveal the taste.

When insisting focus on your own taste. You should not overexpose the tincture if it already suits you. Sometimes two weeks is enough, sometimes it takes 3 months.

Flavored tincture on oak bark

For moonshine tincture on oak bark, use pharmacy bark, you can also personally removed from the tree (do not overdo it with the amount of bark removed!). Sawdust can also be used if you have it.

Oak bark is usually not burned, but if homemade alcohol is insisted on it, the taste will turn out to be too harsh. When you add a certain set of additional components, you will get a drink that is very similar to traditional cognac.

For 3 liters of 50-degree moonshine you will need:

• oak bark - 3 tbsp. spoons;
• a spoonful of honey;
• 1 st. a spoonful of St. John's wort and oregano (oregano);

Raw material is better to take pharmacy: it is well dried and there is at least some guarantee of the quality of raw materials. Yes, and you will buy St. John's wort exactly perforated (it is curative, which cannot be said about fellows - rough or tetrahedral). And don't confuse oregano with thyme.

• allspice - 10 peas;
• 5 carnations;
• a little vanillin and ground coriander.

After mixing everything, insist 2 weeks. Special temperature conditions are not required, put in a closed cabinet. Shake daily.

First, strain the finished drink through a colander or gauze, then filter it so that the moonshine on oak bark becomes completely transparent, remaining colored in cognac color.

It is convenient to filter any alcoholic drinks through cotton pads twisted into a tube and inserted into the neck of a plastic bottle with a cut bottom. Choose a 1.5 liter bottle with a long neck that goes deep into the jar and securely holds an impromptu filter watering can.

Imitation whiskey at home

Actually, grain moonshine is already half of whiskey, it remains only to “bring” it to the desired condition.

The best "analogue" of Scotch whiskey will turn out if you use it, but you can get by with the usual one. The shade, of course, will be slightly different, but not everyone is a whiskey connoisseur.

Option 1

It is very easy to make a complete imitation of the drink that the British are so proud of, if you properly prepare oak pegs, burn them and insist on moonshine.

To prepare oak chips for moonshine with your own hands for this recipe, you need to have oak wood without bark. Pieces can be quite large- so that they only pass into the jar and be no higher than 2/3 of its height.

Wrap each peg tightly in foil and place on a wire rack or baking sheet. Bake 3 hours in the oven. Choose the temperature depending on the desired taste and aroma:

• 120°C - there will be a slight aftertaste and aroma of oak;
• 150°C - pronounced taste, as with prolonged infusion;
• 200 ° C - there is a hint of vanilla;
• 220°C - chocolate flavor with a hint of smoke;
• 270°C - almond flavor.

In order for moonshine on oak chips to become completely similar to whiskey, you need to quickly and along the entire length burn the pegs with a gas burner after being removed from the oven.

Place 2 pegs in each jar and pour strong home-made alcohol (at least 45 °, better - closer to 60 °).

In Scotch and Japanese whiskey, the fortress can reach up to 70 °, but they drink it exclusively in a diluted form. And some types can be as low as 30° when bottled, as connoisseurs believe that high degrees kill flavor.

Such moonshine is infused in the cellar, the basement needs from 3 months to a year. Prolonged infusion improves the taste.

Option 2

In this recipe, oak bark and moonshine will create a wonderful tandem for high-quality whiskey imitation. We will insist moonshine on oak bark with other ingredients.

To get a whiskey tincture on oak bark, it is better to take grain moonshine, in extreme cases - sugar. Let's leave fruit and grape to create.

Let's take 3 liters of moonshine:

• 3 art. spoons (better - measured) oak bark. Steam it with boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, salt and pour cold water for the same time. We drain the water and you can use it.
• 50 g of charcoal. You can make it yourself if you burn a small log - apple, birch, oak. Thoroughly grind to dust.
• 6 - 8 berries of dried apricots or prunes (can be equally divided).

Now you can make moonshine tincture on oak bark by mixing all the ingredients.

An important point - the jar should be topped up with moonshine to the very neck so that there is no free space and tightly closed. You can even roll up a metal lacquered lid.

Whiskey should have a lighter color than cognac, and a long infusion of moonshine on oak bark is not needed, ten to fifteen days are enough. When the drink has acquired a yellow (light brown) color, the process is over: we filter it and filter it.

Few people will understand if moonshine is aged on oak chips or has been in a barrel for a long time. The taste will acquire softness and notes strongly reminiscent of Scotch whiskey.

All elite spirits from a good manufacturer have a mandatory aging period, which affects the quality of the finished product and, of course, its taste. We will find out how to make moonshine on our own, if there is no special barrel nearby, and we will learn the secrets of experienced moonshiners.

What is the difference

Experienced masters of the alcohol business know the answer to this question, there are several pluses here at once:

Oak bark, due to the absorbent properties of wood, contributes to the absorption of all harmful substances and aldehydes remaining after the distillation process that adversely affect the body;

In addition to the fact that oak bark binds all compounds hazardous to health, it also has an excellent aroma, which means that the drink turns out to be soft in taste and pleasant to the nose;

Contributes to the treatment of a large number of different diseases and, of course, their prevention of home-made high-quality moonshine on oak bark. Its recipe requires some knowledge about the quality and composition of the required raw materials.

What should be the oak bark

Moonshine is a difficult process in itself and requires some skills. Professionals in this business know how to insist moonshine on oak bark correctly, and share their secrets with beginners:

1. You need to insist on moonshine for a certain amount of time, otherwise the taste will become bitter and the color will darken.
2. It is better to prepare oak bark for making a drink on your own, but you can also purchase it at a special shop for distillers or at a pharmacy. Additionally, boiled or burned bark will give moonshine a beautiful amber color, and notes of prunes, smoking or vanilla will be clearly felt in the aroma.
3. Aged in this drink will differ significantly in its chemical composition, and every year it gets better and better, this cannot be said about cognac from moonshine. At home, the recipe does not involve such a long exposure and such conditions, but it significantly ennobles the taste and color of the drink, makes it cleaner and healthier.

We prepare raw materials ourselves

If you can’t buy high-quality oak bark, you can visit the nearest forest, this raw material will be even better and more proven than purchased.

1. It is important to know that young oak bark, saturated with a large amount of useful substances, is especially good for such purposes. And you can find it on old trees, more precisely, on their young branches and shoots. The best time to collect the raw materials we need is spring, when all plants wake up, renew themselves and fill with fresh juice.
2. Removing the bark is simple: you need to make transverse cuts on the branch in the right places and one along it, and then, picking up the edge of the cut with a knife, remove the bark completely in a circle.
3. Outwardly, such pieces of raw materials obtained from young branches resemble long thin tubes. It is in this state that we leave them to dry in a dry, well-lit place. Direct sunlight and moisture reduce the beneficial properties of the product. To get a truly high-quality moonshine on oak bark, the recipe and its entire sequence must be strictly followed.

oak tincture

Infusion of moonshine on oak bark in its taste is very similar to good cognac. Having already mastered the implementation of this recipe, it will be possible to add various herbs and spices to it, improving the taste of the drink and giving it originality. Experienced moonshiners show their imagination to the fullest, experimenting with coriander, St. John's wort, cloves, pepper, oregano and other aromatic ingredients. For now, we will consider the basic tincture recipe, the main components for which are:

Harvested or purchased oak bark - two tablespoons;

Moonshine (determine with a degree yourself) - two liters;

Homemade honey, preferably fresh - half a glass.

Classic recipe

Connoisseurs of high-quality alcoholic beverages have long been arguing about whether it is possible to insist moonshine on oak bark, they do not like the taste of such a tincture too much, considering it a little harsh, but it is certainly better than that of ordinary moonshine, and some of the harmful substances are absorbed bark, which is a definite plus. And the tincture is prepared simply:

At the bottom of a clean container (you can use an ordinary three-liter bottle for this purpose), oak bark is poured;

It is poured with the right amount of moonshine;

Now you can close it with a lid and put it in a cool place for settling, or you can experiment and add some of the above herbs there.

How much moonshine to insist on oak bark, you can decide on your own, periodically checking its color and taste. But experienced masters of this business recommend keeping the mixture for no more than two weeks, and then straining it and pouring it into pre-prepared bottles.

Mandatory preparation of moonshine

A homemade drink on oak bark can significantly spoil the high content of fusel oils found in unrefined moonshine. Therefore, before starting the preparation of tincture or brandy from it, it is recommended to filter it. You can do this in several ways:

1. With the help of potassium permanganate.
2. Milk.
3. activated carbon
4. Freezing method.

Experienced moonshiners consider the latter method to be the simplest and most affordable. Before insisting moonshine on oak bark, place the container with it in the freezer. Water will freeze to the walls of the vessel, and with it most of the fusel oils, the remaining liquid can be drained and made on its basis at home.

homemade cognac recipe

Here, an important condition will be a special container for making a drink. It is best if it is wooden, and it is very good if it is oak, but if there is no such one at hand, you can take enameled or glassware. Most often, ordinary five- or three-liter jars are used in home preparation of a drink, and polyethylene lids are used to seal them.

Sugar is heated in clean enameled dishes, it is important to achieve its darkening to a golden color, but not overburning, which will spoil the taste of the future cognac;

The resulting mass must be carefully poured into moonshine and stirred until it is completely dissolved;

To improve the taste of the drink, cloves, vanilla, walnut partitions, cumin and oak bark are added to it;

To make the drink more similar to cognac, knowledgeable moonshiners put a little citric acid in it, after which the container is tightly sealed and sent to a cool place for settling;

The drink can be tasted after five days, but it is better to withstand a period of three to four weeks, we note that the richness of taste and aroma of such homemade cognac depends entirely on how moonshine is infused on oak bark, and over time its beneficial properties will only improve.

The bark is the most important aspect

Ready cognac is passed through a filter, cleaned of small particles in it and poured into beautiful bottles, which can be stored for many more years. His recipe is based on oak bark, so its preparation and selection should be taken with the utmost care. It is thanks to her that the drink gets its rich aroma, taste and a lot of useful properties, for which we are so deeply loved by true connoisseurs of this product. All other spices are added to its composition to taste.

french cognac- a type of strong alcohol, the basis of the production of which is grapes. The unique tart taste and rich aroma of the drink put it at the top of the list of favorite types of alcoholic beverages.

And what is the effect of a magic glass! He who has taken a small dose of a noble drink instantly warms up, he has normalizes blood pressure and calms the nervous system. But not everyone can afford the original cognac, and there will be no sense in fakes.

How to make "nectar" with your own hands to become the happy owner of the coveted bottle without damaging the family budget? We offer a recipe for cognac on oak bark at home. Surprised? Try the recipes below and you will see that cognac on oak bark it turns out no worse than its French grape "brother".

Before proceeding with the preparation of cognac on oak chips, we will carry out the stage of preparing our impromptu barrel, or rather, the element that replaces it - small pieces of oak bark. This magnificent tree grows everywhere in our area, in contrast to the delicate grapes that require abundant sunlight and prolonged heat.

Properly processed chips are also called " chips". Cognac on oak chips in terms of taste is no less pleasant than the aperitif of the same name on grape berries.

The first step will be a trip to the hardware store. There you can buy pegs measuring 10 by 2 and 2 cm.

We take chips in the amount of 100 g - they usually need less, but let there be a supply if you can’t “fry” them correctly the first time.

Oak bars are filled with water and kept for a day. We change the water every 6 hours. This is necessary so that some of the tannins come out, otherwise the homemade one will come out bitter.

Next, drain the water, prepare a soda solution (6 liters of water per teaspoon of soda). Soak for another hour. We wash the chips, lay them out so that they fall on Sun rays(or scatter near a heat source) and dry.

Next stage - heat treatment in the oven. By setting the temperature to 200º and periodically taking out the “product”, we control its color. Cognac on oak chips will have a slight vanilla flavor if the tint is left light brown and the chips are no longer roasted. Other options:

• brown color - the final drink will turn out with almond notes;
• dark color - the aperitif will acquire the taste of bitter chocolate.

But do not overcook, otherwise it will just taste like a scorched dish.

How to make homemade cognac on oak bark?

From moonshine

The first the recipe for cognac from oak and moonshine is simple. Its hardest part is chips preparation.

You will need:

• chips (60 g);
• moonshine (liter).

Another ingredient is burnt sugar(caramel). Sugar is needed to give color to the homemade "twin brother" of the French great drink. A teaspoon dissolved in a small amount of water and boiled until golden brown is enough. Our actions:

We put oak chips in a jar, fill it with quality, put it in a dark place. There the infusion should be 3-6 months.

The main thing is done. Homemade cognac from vodka (moonshine) is ready, it remains to “tint” it. To do this, add to the infusion sugar syrup. Stir and let it sit for a couple more days. If you want to make the taste original, add a couple of cloves and 0.3 vanillin to the nectar.

Such brandy at home is prepared from:

• alcohol;
• moonshine;
• vodka.

Any alcohol will do, the main criterion is quality.

From vodka

Recipe cognac second- using the pharmacy oak bark.

Cognac on oak bark, bought in a regular pharmacy, has excellent taste. In addition, you can be sure: it does not contain harmful impurities. What will be needed?

• moonshine or (3 l);
• oak bark (3-4 tablespoons).

Take also a tablespoon of honey, 5 cloves. You can add pepper (10 peas), oregano (a tablespoon), on the tip of a knife - vanillin. It would be nice to put a tablespoon of St. John's wort in the infusion.

Mix everything and put in a dark place. So from vodka on oak bark you can make an aperitif, very similar to cognac.

Duration of infusion - from 14 to 16 days. The next step is mandatory. filtration. So that homemade cognac prepared according to this recipe turns out to be transparent, without sediment. filter it 3-4 times.

After straining, place the alcohol in fridge and soak for another 10 days. Now the result should satisfy you.

From alcohol

Recipe three: with the addition of dried fruits. The fruit of our labors will be homemade cognac from alcohol with subtle hints of prunes.

Such cognac at home will require the purchase of a slightly larger assortment of ingredients, but the result will delight with novelty and pleasant taste.

• alcohol (3 liters, do not forget to dilute it to 400);
• oak bark (3 tablespoons);
• sugar (take 3 tablespoons and prepare a thick syrup, “fry” the sugar until brown);
• rose hips (you can take dried - 10-15 pieces);
• black pepper (4-5 peas);
• loose leaf tea (black, teaspoon);
• St. John's wort (twig);
• prunes (1-2 pieces);
• raisins (tablespoon).

First, we soak the wild rose with oak bark in boiled water. Then we mix everything, put it in a glass jar and put it away for a week in a dark room. After 7 days, we remove prunes and raisins from the jar. Let's hold on for a couple more weeks.

We filter through 2-3 layers of gauze. Pour into bottles, put in the refrigerator for a week. The last stage of preparation is one more filtration.

Secrets of oak bark

Why does a drink prepared without grapes look like cognac - an original product of French winemakers? The secret lies in properties of oak bark. It contains tannins, which give a characteristic light bitterness and astringency.

In addition, they play a role aromatic acids They make the fragrance complex and interesting. Lactones and phenolic compounds enhance their action. As a result, we get an aperitif with properties similar to those of real cognac.

Snacks for cognac with oak bark

If you decide to prepare a strong alcoholic drink, do not forget to supplement it with good ones when serving. snacks. As the latter fit:

• meat and fish dishes;
• fruit;
• chocolate (bitter).

We have proposed simple recipes for making an aperitif using chips. Anyone can put them into practice. The only thing that is required from a newly minted specialist is patience.

And your hard work will be rewarded! What is your opinion (ideally supported by personal experience) on this issue? Is it possible to get an aperitif with the characteristics of cognac at home?

Useful videos

How to make cognac in 1 month, see the video below. Making homemade cognac on oak bark Oakwood - a simple and very detailed recipe:

Let us know about the results of creative experiments. We will share with other readers.

Oak bark tincture differs from many other types of tinctures in that it can be prepared in a day. The usual period of infusion of such products is from 3 to 14 days. The ability to quickly prepare a tincture makes this recipe very popular.

What ingredients to prepare

This recipe indicates the amount of ingredients needed based on the norm for 2 liters of moonshine. By halving or quadrupling the rate of laying products, you can prepare a smaller amount of tincture. Since the tincture is prepared with alcohol, it can be stored for several years, which means that it can be harvested in large volumes. If this portion is not used, it is recommended to prepare a smaller amount of solution.

List of required products:

• moonshine or vodka 40% - 2 l;
• - 1 teaspoon;
• 4 cloves;
• cinnamon - 1 g;
• vanillin - 1 g;
• oak bark - 10 g.

How to prepare tincture on oak bark

Tincture on oak bark is prepared according to the following recipe:

1. The amount of necessary products is measured using a measuring cup and accurate electronic scales.
2. Moonshine is placed in a glass bottle, honey is dissolved in it.
3. Crushed oak bark is mixed with cinnamon (in crushed form), vanilla and cloves.
4. All dry ingredients are added to a glass bottle with moonshine.
5. The contents of the glass jar are mixed so that the dry components are completely immersed in the liquid.
6. In a warm room, the tincture stands for a day. It can be left in the room or in the kitchen, but not in the refrigerator.
7. A day later, the tincture is filtered. For filtering, you can use soft gauze folded several times.

Despite the short period of infusion, the tincture manages to adopt the taste, smell, and color of the products placed in it. The taste of this drink is very mild, and the aroma is light and barely sweet.

This tincture is a great addition to the festive and weekend tables. Its mild taste and subtle aroma make it very light despite its high strength. One of the main components of the successful outcome of the case is the choice of quality ingredients for the preparation of tinctures.