Wild Sam is moonshine made with wild yeast cereals. What to do if the mash turned sour

Sour moonshine is a problem that novice distillers often face, who make mash using the peasant method - without a water seal. If you take action in time, you can try to save the drink using improvised means. Separately, we will consider the causes and measures to prevent souring of the mash.

During fermentation, the yeast produces organic acids, so do not panic ahead of time - there should be a slight sourness in the mash (the intensity depends on the raw materials). The main thing is to prevent acetic souring, which is easy to recognize by the characteristic features indicated below. In turn, the finished moonshine should not be sour, this indicates a violation of the technology.

Signs of sour mash:

missing or incorrectly installed water seal;
sudden cessation of fermentation;
sharp, "beating in the nose", vinegar smell;
burning sour taste, sometimes even reduces the cheekbones.

Why sour mash. It's all about acetic bacteria, which, when air enters the wash and a temperature of 6-45 ° C, begin to process the resulting alcohol into acid and water. At the beginning of fermentation, carbon dioxide pushes oxygen out of the tank, preventing souring. But when the rate of fermentation drops, there is not enough carbon dioxide, resulting in free oxygen contact with the surface. That is why the mash without a water seal turns sour only at the end or after the cessation of fermentation.

Depending on the raw material and temperature, complete souring takes from 3-4 days to several weeks. When the fortress falls below 0.2%, acetic bacteria fall into suspended animation. But even a slight souring (less than 24 hours) is enough for the distillate to have a sour taste, which will have to be eliminated, and not always successfully.

Prevention of sour moonshine. After laying the ingredients and yeast, it is enough to install a water seal of any design on the fermentation tank, for example, a medical glove with a hole in the finger (pierce with a needle).

Then be sure to check the tightness - blow in through the outlet pipe, with proper installation, the gas should not leave the tank.

The water seal releases carbon dioxide, releasing excess pressure, but prevents oxygen from entering the tank. Thanks to this, the mash does not sour even a couple of weeks after the complete stop of fermentation.

Two more rare reasons for the appearance of a sour taste in moonshine are the selection of distillate during distillation almost to water (minimum strength in the stream) and the wrong choice of moonshine still materials.

In the first case, a lot of organic acids released during the fermentation process get into the moonshine, which have a high boiling point (more typical for grain or fruit mash). In the second, the material is in contact with alcohol, as a result of these chemical reactions, various acids may appear.

Prevention - do not be greedy, finishing the distillation on time, and choose moonshine stills (including containers and connecting tubes) from materials inert to alcohol: copper, stainless steel, glass, etc.

How to fix sour moonshine

The effectiveness of the proposed method depends on the degree of souring of the mash. If there is too much acetic acid (a pungent smell, a burning taste and strength are not felt), it is easier to pour out the mash, since the yield of moonshine will be minimal - the bacteria have processed almost all the alcohol into acid and water. In other cases, you can try to improve the taste, but you will definitely need to re-distill.

Acid quenching technology:

1. Overtake the wash for the first time, finish the selection when the strength in the jet drops below 45%. Measure the total strength of moonshine, determine the amount of pure alcohol. For example, 2 liters of 55% contains 1.1 liters of pure alcohol (2 * 0.55 = 1.1).

2. Dilute the distillate with water up to 20%.

3. Add baking soda or chalk to the moonshine at the rate of 25 grams of the substance per 1 liter of pure alcohol.

3. Stir. Close hermetically. Leave for at least 3-4 hours.

4. Overtake again. During distillation, collect the first 15% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol separately, pour it out or use it for technical needs. Stop product selection when yield drops below 45%.

5. Dilute moonshine with water to the desired strength, seal tightly and leave for 3 days to stabilize the taste.

Hi all!

Today I will tell you how to make moonshine on wheat without yeast. Actually, not necessarily on wheat - any grain crops (rye, barley, millet, etc.) will do.

And mash without yeast and sugar, of course, will not do. But we will not use the usual alcohol or baker's yeast, but wild ones that live on the surface of the grain.

And although it is still sugar moonshine (because grain carbohydrates are not fermented), but the soft work of wild yeast and the presence of cereals in the process gives it a special original flavor. Moonshiners call this drink Wild Sam.

Moreover, each type of cereal gives moonshine its own individual taste. One moonshine is obtained from wheat, another from barley or rye. You can also collect a blend of different cultures in any proportion. In general, there is a lot of room for imagination. Yes, and one more thing - mash on the same grain can be placed up to 4 times or more!

Ingredients

In the recipe, I will give proportions calculated for a 30 liter tank, because. I actually use them. You count yourself for the container you need. The principle is this - take the volume of your fermentation tank and divide it by 7.5. The resulting figure will show the required amount of grain. And then for every kilogram of grain, 1 kg of sugar and 5 liters of water will be required.

So, the ingredients are:

4 kg of grain (I have wheat in the recipe and in the photo)
4 kg sugar
20 liters of water

The grain must be forage, i.e. the one used for animal feed. You can buy it at the market, granary, base, etc. Seed most likely will not work, because. it is specially processed for storage. I can tell moonshiners from St. Petersburg where suitable cheap grain is sold.

Home brew

This is the next day. Foam appeared:

On the second day:

On the day when the confusion is ready:

Distillation

We do the distillation of the mash as usual - without the selection of heads and tails, to the water.
You don't need to clean anything coal, nor oil painting etc.
We do the second distillation according to all the rules fractional distillation- with selection of heads and tails. It is advisable to carry out a 3rd distillation.

Recipe Impressions

He made moonshine on wheat and barley. I liked it more on wheat - it turns out very soft. Perhaps even too much. Harder on barley, but also very interesting.

They say that it works very well on a mixture of wheat and barley in a 50/50 ratio. I really want to try.

In general, I liked Wild Sam so much that I made special labels for him. Do not judge strictly, these are my first attempts at creating my own labels.

Ask why a boar? When I first tried this recipe, water seal on the tank, standing in the kitchen, made loud grunting sounds. At night, they were clearly audible in our bedroom, and my wife once told me: “You have a pig in your kitchen that constantly wants to eat.” “But the pig is wild,” I thought. That's why the boar.

That's like all. I hope the recipe was explained clearly. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment.

For now everyone

A very rare case in the practice of any moonshiner is the souring of mash. To be honest, it’s even hard for me to imagine what needs to be done with it in order to achieve such a result. Immediately a small lyrical digression - I know people in the village who make mash without a water seal, and a couple of times I did it myself in a similar way. How do they act? Braga is poured into a flask, covered with a leaky lid, and then the top of the container is wrapped with blankets. While the mash is fermenting, there is an excess of pressure inside the container, so carbon dioxide is squeezed out through the cracks and the blanket. The main thing here is not to miss the moment of the end of fermentation. But if, nevertheless, the mash is sour, are there any methods to save it?

Sour mash - what is it good for?

On the Internet, on many resources, you will find dozens of ways to "resuscitate" sour mash. Someone recommends adding sugar to it, someone - yeast, others say that you need sourdough and raw cereals. And I'm telling you - all this is nonsense, because sour mash is vinegar. Have you ever tried fermenting 3-5% homemade vinegar? And in sour mash, this concentration can be higher - up to 7-12%, depending on how long it sours. All you will achieve is to spoil the products, both sugar and yeast, and the vinegar itself.

If the mash is cooked on fruits (apples, plums), then vinegar can be used for domestic purposes for marinating meat. Just take some of the sour mash, filter it through a cotton-gauze filter, and pour it into glass bottles. Make sure the vinegar is ready and the alcoholic fermentation has stopped completely - the gas evolution should stop completely.

Why does the mash turn sour?

There is only one reason here - the depressurization of the "shuttle", that is, the fermentation tank. Yeast decomposes sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide only in the absence of oxygen. If air enters the fermentation tank, then the yeast quickly dies, and bacteria come into play, which turn the mash into vinegar. How to avoid it? Yes, just make sure the container is tight and make sure that there is always water in the water seal.

How to determine if the mash is sour or not?

There are several simple ways:

Braga smells like vinegar - the smell is very pungent, literally "beats" in the nose
Very sharp sour taste - reduces cheekbones
Fermentation stopped quickly and suddenly

Is there any hope to save the sour mash?

It all depends on when you discovered the catch. If the mash has already turned into vinegar, then just pour it out, leaving a part for marinating the meat. By the way, I even recommend making a little of this homemade vinegar on purpose, since shish kebab with its use is simply amazing from any meat. If the mash has just begun to sour - it still tastes sweet, but with a slight sour smell, then just add a little yeast diluted in warm water to it (50 grams of bakery for 20 liters of mash will be enough), and ensure complete tightness. If the fermentation process has not been restored within 8-12 hours, then the case is a "pipe", since yeast fungi do not grow in an acid pipe.

Never overload the fermentation tank - the optimal degree of filling is 2/3, regardless of the volume. In the process of fermentation, foam is always formed, a hat of pulp rises, and it is they who will need the remaining 1/3 of the space. Otherwise, the cap may rise so high that it will fall into the outlet tube, and it will clog, the water seal will fly off from excess pressure, and the mash will deteriorate if you do not immediately notice it.
As a water seal, use a wide silicone tube and a large container of water - today there are a lot of special covers and water seals, on the one hand, they are convenient, but their disadvantage is that the volume of water in them is small, like the diameter of the tube. As a result, either the water evaporates or the tube becomes clogged. Homemade water seal is the most reliable and proven, and the optimal tube thickness is 2 cm

Take care of the complete tightness of the fermentation tank, then even if you don’t guess the proportions somewhere, the mash will ferment normally

It is difficult to spoil the mash - just provide it with the necessary conditions and do not interfere with the process, and you will succeed.

Moonshine is a creative process that requires time and quality resources. It’s simple (we recommend choosing an apparatus with a distillation column of the brand or with a dry steamer of the brand) - this is still half the battle, it is important to properly prepare the mash so that there is something to distill on this apparatus. And there is nothing worse than wasted effort and ruined raw materials. You can understand that the mash has turned sour almost immediately: usually even a day is enough for signs of souring to appear. There may be several reasons for this, but the main one is the access of oxygen to the surface of the mash. That is why tightness and a properly installed water seal are important.

Determining sour mash is quite simple:

the most striking sign is the pungent smell of vinegar. Even in small concentrations, it is felt quite clearly;
the taste of mash is very sour, it can even reduce cheekbones;
suddenly stopped fermentation may also indicate souring;
the absence of a water seal or its incorrect installation will also most likely lead to the fact that the mash will turn sour.

Attention! The light sourness of the mash is a variant of the norm, since various organic acids are released during the fermentation process. Plus, the raw material itself may contain acids (especially acidic fruits and berries). Do not panic if the above signs of souring are absent, and a slight sourness is present.

And if there are several of the above signs and a white coating (film) appears on the surface of the mash, then it is completely infected with bacteria. It would be better to just pour such a mash.

But what to do after they found out that the mash turned sour? Everything will depend on the degree of souring: if you managed to “catch” this process at the initial stage, then the mash must be clarified and distilled into raw alcohol, after which the strength and content of “absolute alcohol” should be determined, the raw alcohol should be diluted to a strength of 20 degrees, and baking soda at the rate of 25 grams for each liter of "absolute alcohol". Leave for 2-4 hours under the lid, then overtake again.

If you are planning, then make sure that all materials used (except copper) are inert to alcohol and will not oxidize at high temperatures: this will also lead to acidification of the final product and an unpleasant "metallic" taste and smell.

It will be easier to pour out the sour mash of medium degree, since there is already little alcohol in it (bacteria have processed alcohol into acetic acid), and it will be much more difficult to get rid of the sour taste and smell.

It happens that moonshine becomes sour. This is the problem most often faced by beginners in home brewing, who do not take timely measures to prevent oxygen from entering the homebrew. But, as it turns out, there are other reasons why it might be.

Can mash, in general, be sour? If you check the taste of mash obtained from any grain under normal conditions, you will notice that there is a bitter aftertaste with the aroma of the raw material and never gives off sour. This means that the souring of the mash is still a phenomenon that should not occur under normal conditions. What to do to prevent this from happening?

Why does the mash turn sour?

Quality products should be selected as raw materials. In addition, observe their ratio and perform the processes described in the recipe as accurately as possible.

What could be the reasons for the souring of the mash?

In addition to the fermentation of alcohol, other processes and reactions occur in the mash, which may not be related to moonshine. Bacteria and microorganisms live in raw materials, on dishes or in the air. All of them are involved in reactions under certain conditions. Such reactions can cause souring, odor, cessation of fermentation.

The main reasons why the mash turns sour:

Excess oxygen. Fermentation is anaerobic, which means that the yeast does not need oxygen to convert sugar into alcohol. If you do not install a water seal or constantly remove it, for example, for mixing, the amount of oxygen increases. Although it does not prevent fermentation, it contributes to the start of another process - the synthesis of acetic acid. As a result of this, the mash acquires a sour taste, and the concentration of ethyl alcohol is significantly reduced.
Another cause may be lactic acid bacteria. When infected with them, fermentation will stop and the mash will deteriorate. It is useless to reanimate such a product, you just have to pour it out.
Another reason may be a violation of the temperature regime. To avoid souring of the mash, it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature in the room. For fermentation, it should be 25-28 degrees.
The reason, as already mentioned, may be the lack of a water seal. A water seal is necessary for the release of carbon dioxide, it also prevents the access of oxygen. An alternative to it can be a glove with a hole in one finger. In some recipes, a water seal is not installed on purpose, and you need to carefully monitor the level of acidity.

Separately, it must be said about infection with bacteria and fungi. Often, instead of the usual, wild yeast is used, or they get into the wort from natural raw materials. The products of the vital activity of such yeast are compounds of alcohols. But not all types of microorganisms are suitable for this. In some cases, the mash may be infected with other pathogenic fungi, and it will not be possible to obtain a quality product. The concentration of harmful impurities in the mash will be too high, so much so that there will be no point in distilling it into moonshine.

Some other bacteria can form dimethyl sulfide if ingested. In this case, a sign of infection is the smell of corn. It also happens that the smell of rotten eggs comes from the mash. In this case, a lot of hydrogen sulfide was formed. At the same time, acidity, oddly enough, can be within acceptable limits. But also not recommended, because moonshine will have the same aftertaste.

Thus, sour mash can be not only of poor quality and give a small output, but also dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to know the signs that the mash is sour. This is usually indicated by the following:

incorrectly installed water seal, for example, with warping;
sudden cessation of fermentation;
sharp vinegar smell;
burning sour taste.

Prevention is the correct selection of ingredients, the installation of a water seal of any design, the tightness of the fermentation tank and its neutrality. In addition, you can protect the mash with some drugs, for example, antibiotics:

In winemaking and home brewing, tetracycline antibiotics are used to prevent the mash from souring. For the preparation of wine, for example, most often it can be Doxycycline. It is freely available, inexpensive, stable in an acidic environment, does not affect the taste of wine and moonshine.
Another safe food supplement is nisin. It is used in the production of food and beverages. It dissolves well in liquids, works normally in an acidic environment, and is inexpensive. At the same time, it is quite difficult to get it, and some types of bacteria are immune to it.
Antibiotics of the penicillin group are also often used in the preparation of moonshine. Among them, the most widely used is Amoxicillin. This is a very effective antibiotic, but it has a significant drawback - its components often cause allergic reactions. Therefore, it can only be used for mash, which will undergo distillation, since it completely decomposes during heat treatment.

Antibiotics are most often used in combination, because bacteria have the ability to develop resistance to any particular species. Therefore, most often they require several. They are introduced before yeast is added, and if acid appears, the procedure is repeated after 3-5 days.

How to fix sour moonshine?

One way is to add soda and chalk. The effectiveness of this method depends on how much acetic acid appeared in the wash. If it has only a pungent odor, while the taste of alcohol is not felt at all, then the easiest way is to simply pour out the mash, because the yield of moonshine will be low. If alcohol is still present in the mash, you can try to save it. The technology looks like this:

First we distill the mash, we finish the selection at a fortress below 45%.
We measure the total strength and determine the amount of alcohol.
We dilute to 20% and add soda and chalk, at the rate of 25 g of the substance per liter of pure alcohol.
Mix and seal tightly. We leave for 3-4 hours.
Then we distill again, collect 15% separately and pour it out. We finish the selection when the strength is below 45%. At the end, we dilute the moonshine to the desired strength and leave it for 3 days until stabilization.

There is another way to save sour mash. When fermentation stops, add sugar in the amount of 2 tablespoons per liter of substance. After 2-3 hours, signs of fermentation appear. In addition, you can add sourdough from fruits, berries or grains. If fermentation has not started, you can pour rice at the rate of 0.5 cups per 10 liters of wort. After two days, the taste becomes normal.

How to cook mash so that it does not turn sour?

To begin with, when cooking, do not forget that the grain does not contain sugar. It contains starch, which is a polysaccharide, therefore, in order for sugar to ferment into alcohol, it must be prepared - broken down.

For this, enzymes or malt are used. Malt contains natural enzymes. For cooking, its grain is germinated. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to use ready-made malt or artificial enzymes. Because if the cooking technology is violated, the product may be damaged.

Wild yeast does not require preparation, but it may not be enough if the grain is handled incorrectly. For beginners, it is recommended to use artificial yeast. But they need preparation. To do this, dissolve a little sugar in warm water, then add the right amount of yeast in the correct proportion. The yeast solution is infused for about an hour and a half. After the appearance of abundant foam, they are transferred to Braga.

When setting the mash for fermentation, it is necessary to remember the complete tightness and compliance with the temperature regime. It is also very important not to stir the mash, especially to speed up the process, as this can lead to souring. Depending on the feedstock, fermentation takes up to 2 weeks, after which distillation is carried out.

Sour mash is considered an emergency situation. This is not the norm. When souring the mash, you must try to save it or just pour it out, but you should not drink, as well as distill in this form, although the very presence of acetic acid is not harmful. If the mash has become sour due to other bacteria, that is, an infection has occurred, it is not recommended to use it further. Even on the condition that the mash was saved, it is still not worth drinking it, just distill it.