Braga has been installed in Russia from time immemorial. Not so long ago, it was almost the most popular alcoholic drink consumed in the absence of moonshine. For the production of the latter, it was possible to get a real criminal sentence, but what is there - for the proceedings, even for the discovery of an unused moonshine still in the house, initiation of the case was practically guaranteed. Braga is a different matter. She, too, of course, was not welcomed, but still they treated her more tolerantly. The raw material for the mash could be grain, especially its surplus, which lay in the winter. They put a simple mash, using sugar and yeast. In some cases, jam was used.
It is necessary
- - Jam;
- - pressed baker's yeast;
- - spring, well or bottled water;
- - sugar;
- - container for home brew;
- - containers for wort;
- - spoons.
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the required ingredients. There can be many variations, for a traditional drink there are three of them: water, yeast and jam. Contrary to popular belief, neither its quality, nor the fruits or berries from which it was brewed, nor the time that stood in the pantry or cellar, affects the taste of the mash. For the taste, only one thing is important: the amount of sugar that was used to cook it. The same cannot be said about technology. Braga from different types of fruits and berries requires a different approach, otherwise the fermentation process (it is from it that the braga got its name) may not go the way you want.
Step 2
When choosing water, also approach the matter responsibly. If there are impurities in it, you cannot get a high-quality drink from such water. But even boiled or distilled water does not always have the right effect on fermentation. The best option is spring, well, or, in extreme cases, bottled. Usually bottled water is extracted from deep wells, it undergoes natural multi-stage purification and is considered even better than spring water. Another thing is that often such water is mineralized, the content of any chemical substances in it can be increased, which, in turn, can affect the mash.
Step 3
Prefer compressed baker's yeast. Dry, well-proven in baking, most likely will not work for your purposes. On average, the strength of a drink prepared with baker's yeast fluctuates at the level of 10-12 percent. If you want stronger - use alcohol yeast. They are not sold in ordinary retail stores, but in the conditions of the developed Internet and the undoubted interest of a more or less wide audience in the topic of home production of alcoholic beverages, it should not be difficult to find alcohol yeast. If you want to get mash from fermented jam, cooked according to all the rules, try to get wine yeast. They are the ones that are best combined with the basis of your future drink - berries and fruits from which this jam was made. Still, it is easier to buy baker's yeast. They should be taken in the amount of one hundred grams for each liter of sweet jam and four liters of water.
Step 4
Find containers and utensils for the mash. Everything must be thoroughly rinsed with hot water, if possible - even doused with boiling water (of course, if the material provides for exposure to such high temperatures). Then dry it no less thoroughly. Ideally, start the process itself only the next day, allowing the so-called "natural drying" to bring the dishes in line with the required state. The container for the wash should be made of materials that do not corrode. As for the volume, choose one that is 30-40 percent more than the volume of the drink. Firstly, during fermentation, fruits and berries from the jam will inevitably rise with a "cap", and secondly, the yeast, growing, emit carbon dioxide, which also contributes to raising the upper limit of the drink. An important point: when using plastic containers (especially for barrels), make sure that they are labeled "intended for food". Otherwise, for good business, pick up a different container.
Step 5
Make a quick mash. For these purposes, jam made from sweet fruits, for example, apples, pears, black currants, etc., is suitable. Heat the water to 35 degrees, pour out a little and dissolve the yeast. Mix with the rest of the water, add the jam. There are no exact proportions, but it is desirable that the concentration of sugar in the water be as high as possible. If the jam is not very sweet, it is better to add additional sugar for a more robust mash. Put the container with the drink near the battery, this is the simplest option, it is only important to turn it over every 4-5 hours so that the yeast grows more evenly. The temperature inside the container should be at 25-30 degrees. Both an increase and a decrease will not have the best effect on the finished wash. A more difficult but sure way to ensure even heating is to tape the aquarium heater with tape. It is especially good if he has the ability to adjust the temperature (sometimes they can only heat up to certain degrees, not the fact that this will suit you). Pull a rubber glove over the container with a drink - this is a kind of indicator, so you will monitor the completion of the formation of gas. Or use a water seal. After 3-4 days, the mash can already be thoroughly filtered and distilled (as an option, use it as it is, if you like such a specific taste).
Step 6
Try pre-brewing the yeast. This is a slow mash, it requires a little more patience, because for 2-3 days you will only have to mature the yeast preparation. For her, remove all the jam from the jars. Add an equal amount of water by weight and the portion of yeast provided for the total volume of the mash. If fermentation processes have already begun in the jam, nature has done part of the work for you. If not, the task of starting these processes is exactly what you face at this stage. Transfer the mixture to a container (this can be an enamel saucepan, a plastic container, a glass jar, at least twice the volume of the workpiece). It is very important to maintain the same temperature at 30-32 degrees for a couple of days. Very soon the mash wort will begin to bubble, hiss and give off a characteristic fermented smell. However, this process is not endless. Just by the end of the second day, it will decline. It's time to pour this mixture into the mash container (bottle, cylinder, barrel) and add all the water intended for the future drink. It should wander for about 5-6 days, after which it is technically ready. But lovers of pure high-quality homemade drinks are also recommended to overtake the slow mash.
