Bread wine: a classic homemade recipe

A grain-based wine drink was known in Russia before the distillation of spirits was discovered. The method was used everywhere, unlike home-made distillate (moonshine) and vodka, bread wine had a pleasant aftertaste. The fortress reached almost 40 degrees, the drink was considered ready in 3-5 days. Restoring old recipes that our ancestors owned.

A bit of history

Wheat wine in Russia was called a home distillate made from the grain of the same name. Barley or rye was also suitable, the taste only benefited from this.Until the 19th century, when the practice of making strong alcohol from alcohol diluted with water spread, bread wine remained a popular, national drink in Russia. Then the state introduced a monopoly, banning private production of alcohol (without a license).

Cooking Features

Unlike vodka, bread wine cannot be made from literally anything, not even potatoes or sawdust, as one song claimed. Grains are used as raw materials. They give the drink an original aftertaste.

Residual fusel oils in bread wine at the same time, according to a subjective assessment, are comparable to those in whiskey, cognac. It is allowed to drink the drink in small sips, which is simply impossible with vodka.

Prepared by distillation in pot stills. It is possible to insist in oak barrels, on coal, bread, milk. Bread wine recipes were kept in family archives and rarely went beyond them.

How to make bread wine at home

Classic bread wine, or polugar, is easy to make at home. One popular recipe calls for the following ingredients:

m alt;
water;
yeast.

Ancestors used rye m alt, although barley or wheat would also work. It will require 5 kilograms. Water - clean, from a well or spring, treatment with popular reverse osmosis is not recommended.

It is better to pour the usual, from the tap, defend, and then clean it with a filter. It needs about 20 liters.

Yeast take 30 grams of dry or 50 "wet". The technology requires controlling the temperature of the wort fermentation, so you need a thermometer - household alcohol or electronic.

Preparation of m alt

Bread wine m alt is suitable for any grain, as long as it is properly ground and thoroughly dried. Both purchased and homemade are allowed.

The key point in the preparation of m alt concerns its fineness: a cross between groats and flour, but not a fine powder. A suitable way of choice for beginner winemakers is to buy raw materials in a store. Over time, gaining experience, it is possible to make m alt on your own.

Mashing

This is the name given to the isolation of sugars from grain starch. The speed of mashing is affected by temperature, that's when a thermometer and knowledge of the basics of homemade wine technology come in handy. Cold m alt does not produce sugar well, and fermentation may not start at all.

For mashing, water is collected in a pre-prepared container, boiled, then cooled to a value of 55 degrees Celsius.Now it is allowed to add m alt, stirring the composition in order to avoid the appearance of lumps, poor dissolution of raw materials. Almost ready wort is slowly heated to 61-64 degrees, after which it is stirred again.

The next step is the most important. It is necessary to maintain the temperature regime at the level of 60-65 degrees for one and a half hours. It is recommended to carefully heat the container, keeping an eye on the temperature of the wort.

Fermentation

During fermentation, intensive production of alcohol begins in our "chemical factory" under the action of a catalyst - yeast fungi. To do this, the contents of the pan are cooled to 28 degrees, poured into a separate container, a fermentation tank. Yeast (ready-made or diluted) is also added there, mixed thoroughly. The container is cleaned in a pantry or other unlit place with a temperature of 18 to 27 degrees.

The actual fermentation process can take from 4 to 16 days. The quality of m alt, yeast and temperature conditions affect the speed. A water seal is a must!

It is allowed to stir (not shake) the wort once a day to increase the yield of alcohol.

First distillation

The main signs of readiness for distillation are the absence of "gurgles" in the shutter for a couple of days, the bitter taste of mash. At the end of fermentation, the solution brightens. The liquid is poured into the distillation unit, using a sieve to filter out small residues of the m alt mass. In the process, a cloudy distillate with a characteristic odor is obtained, the distillation stops after the drop in the fortress at the outlet (controlled by an alcohol meter) to 25 degrees.

Second distillation

The semi-finished product of bread wine is diluted with water (about a fifth of the total amount), then again poured for distillation. And here the output is already divided into components:

"Head" (first 12-15%). In large quantities contains acetone, fusel oils. It is categorically not recommended for use, it is suitable as a solvent, raw materials for rubbing, ointments.
"The body" is a good part of the product. This includes anything that reaches a strength of about 40 degrees.
"Tails" - the remains of the distillation of a small fortress. Allowed to mix with the following fermented m alts

Cleaning

Cleaning the finished product improves the taste of bread wine, increases the value of the drink. Traditionally, methods of processing with milk, raw chicken egg (protein), coal and bread are popular. Before cleaning, it is recommended to slightly dilute the polugar so that its strength is 45-50 degrees.

Dilution and storage

Bread wine is not vodka, so 38.5 degrees is considered standard for it. The finished drink is bottled, corked. Stored as regular strong alcohol, in a cool closed room (closet, pantry).

How to use?

Bread wine is drunk from glasses with a capacity of 50 to 150 milliliters, in small sips, enjoying a mild taste. Like vodka, it is best to chill before drinking. Suitable for spicy, s alty, spicy, meat or fish snacks.