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It is a very important stage in the preparation of moonshine, carried out before the distillation procedure, which allows you to significantly give the drink a unique taste and award a high level of quality.

What is the purpose of this operation? When the mash is clarified, a yeast suspension is precipitated - this prevents impurities from entering the cube for distillation (unnecessary substances, once in the cube, can begin to decompose into foul-smelling fragments).

In simple terms, by distilling the mash, the yeast waste is digested. For this reason, clarification of the mash before the start of the distillation procedure is strictly recommended. To begin with, we should familiarize ourselves with the main ways of clarifying moonshine mash.

In order to clean vegetable or sugar mash, it is customary to use bentonite or hibiscus. Fruit, grain and berry types of mash are cleaned with gelatin or milk is used for this purpose. Each of these methods brings a positive effect. They are completely harmless and perfect for home use.

Their main advantage is the absence of the likelihood of “overlapping” the specific taste and aroma of an alcoholic beverage (usually gelatin with milk does not bring the same effect as solutions of grain and fruit types).

This material is devoted to the topic of clarification of mash for moonshine with gelatin.

How is mash clarification done with gelatin?

Gelatin is an environmentally friendly and completely safe coagulant (in Latin, this word means the processes of coagulation, thickening, and enlargement). Clarification (cleaning) of mash with gelatin, as a technological process, is called "pasting". Most of all, this method is used during the creation of fruit wines. Compared with the technologies for clarifying mash based on hibiscus and bentonite, this method can be considered the most time-consuming and time-consuming.

But if you need to carry out the clarification of fruit or berry mash, then the use of gelatin is a more preferable option than the use of bentonite, since only it is able to preserve in the composition of the mash the very aroma that the original raw material had.

If you look at the situation from an economic perspective, then gelatin will be in first place among other components associated with the clarification procedure. Ten liters of mash should account for up to two grams of gelatin.
What technology is used to purify moonshine mash with gelatin?

At the beginning of cooking, gelatin must be poured into a special container (it can be an ordinary bowl), the volume is calculated as two g per ten liters of mash, which is clarified. After that, it is necessary to pour the resultant with cold water in order for swelling to occur (calculated as two hundred grams of water mass per gram of gelatin). Gelatin should be infused at room temperature for all twenty-four hours, while water changes should take place almost every eight hours.

After a day, the resulting gelatinous mass should be filled with a fresh portion of water, then you warm it all up (no need to boil). In order for the gelatin to completely dissolve, the heated mass must be constantly stirred with a spoon or ladle. After such a procedure, the resulting product will have to be poured into the mash itself. Next, the mash should be thoroughly mixed and shaken.

For precipitation to occur, the user will have to spend a certain amount of time: either a few hours or three days. When the sediment is at the very bottom, the manufacturer will have to drain all the mash in a neat way, using a PVC hose or a special overflow siphon.

The most effective clarification with gelatin brings fruit mash. These include apple, plum, cherry, and also pear varieties of mash, because it binds only the yeast sediment, and only the taste of the main raw material remains, which will be contained in the finished moonshine.

Other ways to cleanse mash using gelatin

Braga clarification can also occur using the following technology:

1. First, gelatin is taken in the same amount (two g, ten liters of mash) and poured with chilled water (this is two hundred milliliters per gram of gelatin).
2. The resulting product must be infused for a daily period, being at room temperature. Every eight hours, the user needs to change the water.
3. When the gelatin swells, you will have to fill it with warm water (the proportion is indicated in paragraph number one).
4. After two or three days, the mash is drained from the sediment itself and distilled.

In the process of preparation, the manufacturer can use a special preparation called kieselsol. It is used to carry out the clarification of wine products, and is a colloidal solution of silicon dioxide. They usually sell it in specialized establishments.

You can also order it from any online store. The advantage of the drug lies in the insignificance of its dosages (half a gram per 1 liter of product). A standard half-liter package may well be suitable for one ton of mash. The main drawback is that it is not as easy to get as, for example, hibiscus or betonite.

Why is gelatin clarification the most viable option when making fruit alcoholic beverages? It all depends on the fact that when cleaning with bentonite or any other method, the product can lose not only yeast, but also its fruit component. Because of this, moonshine may lose all the originality of the taste and aroma of the fruit with which it was made. For this reason, the clarification of the mash is most appropriate to carry out using gelatin.

The fermented wort is purified with gelatin exclusively in the following technology:

Usually the manufacturer of an alcoholic beverage can measure the required amount of gelatin. Usually ten liters of liquid should fall on two grams. Gelatin will have a dry consistency, so it is poured abundantly with water. The product is infused for twenty-four hours.

After that, after the onset of the next day, the solution is diluted with water in the volume that was at the very beginning. After this procedure, you will have to mix the mass. Then the keloid solution is added to the composition of the mash. Precipitation of harmful enzymes, essential oils and suspensions occurs within two or three days. When the bottom of the container is littered with a sediment of a thick mass, decanting and distillation of the mash wort will begin.

What is the difference between cleaning with bentonite and hibiscus and clarification with gelatin?

When hibiscus (hibiscus) petals (hibiscus) are used in the process of lightening the mash, a dense sediment forms at the very bottom of the container. This sediment is separated from the wort in the upper layers through decanting with a silicone tube. After that, the drink acquires the appropriate taste and aroma, becoming acceptable for distillation into an alcoholic beverage with a higher degree of strength.

Bentonite is a white clay commonly used in the manufacture of cat litter. It is very important to study the composition: aromatic substances should not be present in the product. Clarification with bentonite is carried out after the completion of the fermentation procedure.

Braga lightening - yeast cleaning liquid that burn during distillation. This procedure is not considered mandatory, but it is highly recommended by experienced moonshiners, since the quality of the final product is higher. We will look at the most effective methods and present a ranking of the best solutions.

It is worth noting that fruit mash is not recommended for clarification. It contains the taste and aroma of the raw material, which leaves along with the careful filtration of the yeast. That is why all the described methods are best used for the classic moonshine recipe, and not for exotic distillates.

Precipitation after clarification

No matter how absurd it may sound, but the best clarification can be achieved using the usual infusion in a cold place. To do this, we do not need to buy some raw materials and calculate the proportions. Yeast will precipitate on its own.

Lightening effect after 2 weeks

1. We are waiting for the full maturation of the mash.
2. Pour the liquid into any storage container (bottles, cans, etc.).
3. We put in the refrigerator or cellar with a temperature of no more than 15 degrees.
4. We wait 1-2 weeks and remove the purest mash from the sediment.
5. Ready!

If you doubt that the mash can stand for so long and not deteriorate, then we recommend that you study in more detail.

According to the experience of moonshiners: liquid for distillation into alcohol is easy to keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. The main thing is to complete the fermentation process and tightly close the storage container.

Second place: filtering

A fairly obvious and quick method with which you can clean almost any liquid.

Yeast during filtration will linger in gauze or cotton wool, as a result of which a clean base for moonshine will fall into the distillation cube.

1. Filter the finished mash through a thick layer of gauze or cotton wool.
2. Ready!

For some reason, it is much easier for people to throw cat litter into a fermentation tank for a day than to filter the sediment with gauze in 20 minutes. Be more tactful and efficient, otherwise you will lose all the buzz from the final product along the way.

Third place: clarification with bentonite

The most controversial topic on the Internet is bentonite (dry clay), which is used in pet litter. Immediately, we note that we recommend using bentonite bought in a specialized store, which is perfect for clarification without risks for future moonshine.

Purchased clay looks like this:

Lightening technology is as follows:

1. First of all, we wait for the complete end of the fermentation process. You can check in several ways (by time, sound, smell, taste, and so on).
2. We take bentonite powder in the proportion of 20 grams (1 tablespoon with a slide) per 10 liters of mash and mix it with warm drinking water until smooth (water needs about a liter per 50 grams of powder).
3. Slowly pour the resulting mixture into the wort and shake vigorously. Shake again after half an hour.
4. We insist during the day in a dark place.
5. We remove from the sediment, filter through gauze and proceed to distillation.

We considered clarification with bentonite in more detail in another publication. There you will find an interesting list of common mistakes that people make when using this method -.

Fourth place: use of Sudanese rose (hibiscus tea)

The flowers of this plant have high acidity, which helps in cleansing the mash. Hibiscus does not give off any smells and aromas to the future moonshine, although the color of the liquid changes greatly during the clarification process. After bentonite it is the fourth in terms of cleaning quality method.

Preparation of infusion from hibiscus

1. Based on the proportion of 70 grams of hibiscus per 10 liters of mash, bring tea with 1 liter of water to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Cool to room temperature around 25 degrees.
3. Pour the infusion into the ripened mash, mix and wait 1 day. The container is in a dark place with a temperature of 20-30 degrees.
4. We remove from the sediment and send for distillation.

Yeast will fall out in a dense thick sediment, which should not fall into the distillation cube.

It is better to increase the losses during transfusion, but exclude them from entering.

It will be easier for you to wash the device after distillation, and the product will turn out better.

Fifth place: gelatin (for fruit mash)

This method is on the fourth line, because it is applicable for rich and fragrant fruit mash. Gelatin sticks together only yeast and does not affect the rest of the ingredients. After distillation, you will feel that the taste of moonshine remains the same as before clarification.

Before infusion, gelatin must be insisted for a day in cold water

1. We take gelatin in the proportion of 1 gram per 5 liters of mash and fill it with 200 ml of water.
2. We insist during the day, after which we change the water and fill it with warm water in the same proportions.
3. The resulting mixture is poured into a fermentation tank and infused for 2-3 days in a dark place with a temperature of 20-30 degrees.
4. We drain from the sediment and send for distillation.

Ineffective methods (citric acid, milk and alcohol)

We will collect all other methods in a separate group, which will not differ in good results in matters of clarification of mash. They are passed from mouth to mouth over the Internet, but no one says anything about efficiency and experience. We do not recommend use them for your moonshine.

The proportions are indicated for 10 liters of mash:

• Lemon acid(20 grams diluted in a glass of water).
• Milk(1 liter with minimum fat content).
• pure alcohol or " tails» moonshine above 25% of the fortress(150 grams).

Spoiling your base for moonshine with these methods will not work, but you will practically waste your time. It is better to use the proven 5 methods from the rating that will work 100% without any risks.

An interesting video about lighting was prepared by the author of the channel viper. The guy talks perfectly about all the processes that occur during this procedure, and also constantly mentions the effectiveness and technology of this or that method. Highly recommended for viewing.

To obtain high-quality moonshine without foreign smell, it is necessary to clarify the mash before pouring it into the distillation cube. If this is not done, then the non-clarified alcohol-containing liquid poured into the container will invariably burn when heated.

And from this - bad taste and bad smell low-grade moonshine. must be clarified before distillation, using both natural methods and the use of chemicals.

Important! Before you start the clarification process, you need to make sure that the mash has gained the desired strength (11-12%) and is ready for distillation.

Some types of mash are self-lightening, that is, fermented ones settle to the bottom in a thin layer and you can just remove the wort from the sediment. But most of the time this doesn't happen. We see the division into fractions, but the lower one, which contains impurities - loose due to suspensions.

Reference. In order to better assess the state of separation into fractions, you should put the mash in glass container big size. In this case, it is good to use a water seal (rubber glove) so that the alcohol does not evaporate.

To get a dense sediment, from which it is easy to remove the liquid necessary for distillation, the mash must be cooled for 5 – 7 days. The cooling temperature must be about 6°С (+-2°С). For this, a basement (cellar) is used, and it is possible, although this can be problematic due to the size.

During the specified time, the mash will lighten naturally and you can separate clear liquid from sediment.

This is best done through a transparent tube, in the same way that is removed from the sediment. wine: the fermentation tank should be located higher (for example, on a chair or table), and the alembic should be lower so that the mash naturally leaves through the straw.

But you can also carefully drain the clear liquid, making sure that sediment does not get into the main part. If additional ingredients were used: bread, fruit, jam, etc., then it is possible that there will be float some light fractions. In this case, you need to drain through a colander (sieve).

Carefully! If the mash is not yet fully ready for distillation, then to stop fermentation, it must be heated to a temperature of about 60 ° C, but not higher, so as not to lose alcohol!

Lightening with cold

This is another natural way to lighten the wash, although it has both supporters and opponents. As you know, water freezes, as well as those impurities that are visible to the eye that are in Braga, and a transparent alcohol-containing liquid will not freeze. She will remain just drain and overtake.

But in freezing the mash, there is clearly a catch. As everyone knows, vodka from the store freezes at -40 ° C, and mash has a much lower degree.

Conclusion: freezing for clarification should occur at not too low temperatures(not lower than -10°С).

Lightening mash with bentonite

Bentonite is, in fact, a common White clay, which is found everywhere (not to be confused with lime!).

If you live in a village or have a dacha and know where the development of white clay is located nearby (the peasants usually collect it there for their needs - whitewashing, additives for poultry food, etc.), you can also dig it up and then use it to clean the mash and moonshine.

But it is also not difficult for urban residents to buy bentonite: it is inexpensive, but the effect in cleaning alcohol-containing liquids from impurities is almost instantaneous.

The technology for cleaning mash with bentonite includes the following steps:

1. Mineral crushed to powder. You can - in a coffee grinder, although grinding in a mortar is also quite suitable, as was done before.
2. Must be used from calculation: for 10 liters of mash - 1 full tablespoon of bentonite.
3. The resulting powder, taken in the right amount, is poured with about half a liter of boiling water, stirred well and left for a couple of hours. During this time, concrete will swell.
4. The remaining water (if it is not all absorbed) is drained and the swollen white clay is diluted with mash, so that it is more convenient to pour it out.
5. Pour into the main volume of the mash with a stream, stirring all the time (as jelly is brewed).
6. Leave for a day, then drained from the sediment.

Which bentonite clay is suitable? There is always a choice:

• Special Winery. The downside is that it's hard to get.
• Plain, independently accumulated. True, one can never know what impurities it contains.
• Construction. Sold in special stores.
• Cat litter without fragrances. Look at the composition, it should contain bentonite.

Cleaning hibiscus mash

Hibiscus tea (petals of hibiscus flowers or, in other words, Sudanese roses) can also be successfully used. For 10 liters of mash, 70 g of hibiscus is enough.

Reference. Clarification occurs due to the presence of acids in the flowers, which give the drink from hibiscus a specific taste. Acids “lull” the yeast (stop their vital activity), bind impurities and lower them to the bottom of the container.

The lighting process goes like this:

• pour dry hibiscus flowers with a liter of water (if the mash is more than 10 liters, respectively, the amount of hibiscus and water increases) and put on the stove;
• heat to a boil, stirring;
• after boiling, turn off the stove, cover the pan with a lid and leave to cool. During this time, the "tea" will infuse, become bright and sour;
• squeeze the flowers and discard, pour the liquid into the mash and stir;
• leave for a day, then remove from the sediment.

Please note. Braga, although it becomes transparent, will turn pink. But it will be, as usual, colorless.

It is not very desirable to use this method for fruit, as it can deprive the finished product of the expected flavor.

The use of citric acid

As we have already found out, acid helps to quickly remove sediment from the wort, so it is widely used for this purpose. accessible citric acid.

Use a 20/25 gram bag for 10 liters of mash.

The acid is first diluted in a small amount of liquid, then mixed with the entire contents of the fermentation tank. A day later, they are drained and distilled.

note! So that with this method there is no acidic taste in moonshine, after straining, you need to add a substance to the wort that “extinguishes” the acid - chalk or soda. And only after that distill.

Gelatin gluing method

Gelatin effectively glues particles of suspension, yeast, and they precipitate. This method is great for all types of mash, because it does not “kill” the specific aroma of fruits, berries, grains, etc., the presence of which we want to feel in the final product.

A little gelatin is required: 2 grams per 10 liters of mash. This amount requires 2 cups (400 ml) of water. But the preparation process itself is equally important. Cleaning the mash with gelatin occurs as follows:

1. Pour gelatin with cold water for a day. During this time, we change the water three times (every 8 hours).
2. After the time has elapsed, add warm water to the swollen gelatin and heat with stirring until dissolved (there should be no granules left), but in no case should we boil!
3. Pour into mash, stir.
4. After precipitation (this will happen in a few hours, or even 2 - 3 days), we drain the clarified mash through a tube or siphon.

Express method with milk

With this method, distillation can be carried out after 2 to 3 hours.

Important. Milk should be non-fat. If it is homemade, then it must be separated (reverse is used).

A liter of milk is enough for 10 liters of mash. It is poured in, stirred and after a few hours filtered through gauze, optionally through a paper filter.

Using paper filters

This method provides for minimal loss of mash. A funnel (cut plastic bottle) and coffee maker filters or special filter paper are used. Consumption: 1 filter for 2 liters of wort.

Advice. In order to reduce the consumption of material and slightly reduce the time for straining, you can first strain the mash through gauze, and then bring it to the standard by filtration.

Clarification with alcohol

Alcohol also inhibits the vital activity of yeast and causes them to precipitate. Why is it enough to pour a little alcohol or “tails” from previous distillations into the wort before distillation. It is only important that they be a fortress of at least 25%.

In less than a day, the mash can be removed from the sediment and distilled. The advantage of this method is that, in addition to cleaning, it increases the yield of moonshine, and the residue from the last distillation does not disappear.

Lightening the mash is a necessary step that many moonshiners and winemakers often neglect. And in vain, because this is fraught with the fact that the remaining yeast sediment during distillation will begin to burn, emitting a very unappetizing hydrogen sulfide smell. The situation is further aggravated if fruit fermentation products are used as raw materials.

Therefore, it is so important not to skip this stage if you want to get a really high-quality drink without foreign smells and tastes. It can be carried out in various ways, for example, by settling at very low temperatures or using special sorbents.

Lightening mash with bentonite

This is one of the most popular ways for moonshiners because of its high efficiency and relative affordability. Allows you to filter the sediment and get rid of the turbidity of the drink. True, for those who have little experience in moonshining, it will be quite difficult to complete this procedure, since there are some nuances, failure to comply with which can nullify all efforts.

Bentonite is a white mineral clay for lightening home brew, which swells quickly and is highly absorbent. Due to this, the material not only changes the color of the product, but also softens the taste, making it more pleasant.

Clay can be used to clarify almost any alcoholic beverage. Its particles quickly bind the molecules of impurities, which then settle to the bottom, and the liquid becomes completely transparent. In addition, bentonite is a chemically stable, non-toxic substance that remains neutral to alcohol compounds when added to home brew.

Other uses for cat litter material

Very often, instead of ordinary bentonite, mash is clarified with cat litter. This is due to the fact that it is rather difficult to purchase a sorbent in a standard form, while in a pet store you can see a wide selection of products based on it. The main thing is to familiarize yourself with the composition before buying to make sure that this particular clay is actually contained in the product.

You should not purchase a filler that contains any aromatic additives. Experts recommend such brands as "Katsan", "Zoonik" and "Pee-pee-Bent" for cleansing mash - they contain a small amount of impurities.

Advantages and disadvantages of bentonite

The material provides clarification of mash and almost any wine drinks, while filtering them with high quality and cleaning them from sediment. It improves the flavor characteristics of the product and has a relatively affordable price.

The disadvantages of the sorbent include a decrease in the amount of liquid at the outlet, since part of it drains along with the sediment, as well as the fact that preparation is needed to use this material: first, crushing the bentonite into small pieces (for example, using a coffee grinder or blender), then drying and keeping them at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius. The last stage should last from 30 minutes to an hour, after which the sorbent is ground into powder.

Two tablespoons of the resulting substance are diluted, stirring constantly so that lumps do not form, in 0.5 liters of boiled water and left for several minutes. This solution is beaten with a mixer until the consistency of semi-liquid kefir, after which the composition becomes completely ready for use.

Clay bleaching process

This procedure is carried out in several stages. First you need to determine the required amount of products at the rate of 1 tablespoon of solution per 10 liters of drink. Clarification of the mash with bentonite is carried out as follows: the solution is slowly poured into the alcoholic product, thoroughly mixed and infused at room temperature for a day.

The precipitate is carefully separated from the obtained substance by pouring into another container using a polymer tube. It remains to complete the final stage - the direct distillation of the mash. This method provides a high degree of elimination of unpleasant odors and impurities.

Lightening mash with cold

The method is applied only on the condition that the strength of the drink is at least 11-12 percent. In this case, you can not be afraid of the souring of the ingredients, even if the precipitation of particles in a natural way is delayed.

This process is very long, but at the same time the most accessible. First, the sediment is drained from the drink, and then it is put in the cold (in a refrigerator or cellar at a temperature of about 5-10 degrees Celsius) and kept for 2 to 10 days.

During this time, it is necessary to constantly monitor the appearance of the product. When it becomes completely transparent, you need to drain the sediment again and start distillation.

Important point! Clarification of mash with cold must be urgently stopped if there is a danger of increasing acetic fermentation.

gelatin cleansing method

This procedure is most suitable for fruit-flavored drinks (apple, cream, cherry, etc.). Clarification of the mash with gelatin occurs due to the binding of the sediment that remains from the yeast. At the same time, the finished product retains the original taste and smell of moonshine, and the cleaning agent is highly environmentally friendly and affordable.

The procedure is performed as follows: 2 grams of gelatin are taken for 10 liters of mash, which are poured with cold water (at the rate of 200 milliliters per 1 gram) and left for a day. Every 7-8 hours, the fluid should be changed.

After the gelatin swells, you need to add warm water, calculating in the same proportions as cold water in the previous step. The substance that turned out after this is carefully poured into the mash and allowed to infuse for 2-4 days, after which it will be possible to drain the sediment using a siphon or hose. This procedure is sometimes referred to as "gluing" and is often used to make homemade fruit wines.

Cleaning with citric acid

Braga clarification can be performed by another unusual method - with the help of hibiscus tea. It is made from Sudanese rose and has high acidity due to the high content of citric acid in its petals. The effectiveness of this method is based precisely on the creation of an acidic environment, which has a destructive effect on the yeast.

Braga is clarified with citric acid as follows: based on 10 liters of water, 70 grams of flowers are taken and placed in a bowl of hot water, put on fire, brought to a boil, stirring occasionally, and turned off.

After that, the container with the liquid is wrapped, covered with a lid and allowed to cool to a temperature of 20-30 degrees. Chilled tea is carefully poured into the mash, thoroughly mixed and kept for 24 hours. It remains only to drain the purified product from the precipitate, and you can start distilling it.

Some nuances

This method has one important point - after cleaning, the moonshine drink acquires a pink-red hue. This should not affect the taste of the product in any way, but you should be prepared for a change in color. The resulting rich shade will be very useful for wine drinks.

After cleansing the liquid, crushed chalk can be added to it to neutralize the acidic environment and get rid of unwanted aftertaste.

Most of all, this method is suitable for clarification of grain mash, because it contains a significant amount of solid particles that are difficult to filter. Also, cleaning with hibiscus tea allows you to save a pleasant "bread" smell of this variety of mash.

Other beverage processing methods

There are other ways to lighten the wash, which are used less often, but can also be useful in certain cases. For example, there is a method for neutralizing fermented acids, in which a little crushed chalk or baking soda is poured into the moonshine immediately before clarification (about two tablespoons per 10 liters of liquid).

Someone considers such processing unnecessary and resorts to it only in cases where the acidity of the drink is increased before distillation. Other people are sure that the normalization of any moonshine product before distillation allows you to get an additional degassing effect, which leads to the complete absence of a fusel smell from the finished drink.

If you choose between soda and chalk, the latter will be preferable, since it does not shift the pH level to the alkaline side, which, in turn, also negatively affects the taste of the drink. This method is well suited for clarification of grain and fruit brews.

Paper sorbents

Clarification of the drink can also be carried out by placing sorbents in a funnel made of a special filter material. Thus, the mash passes through mechanical obstacles and is cleaned. Thanks to this method, there is no loss of drink and active yeast is eliminated.

But the method requires a lot of time and significant consumption of filter paper. It is possible to carry out multi-level purification, in which only the upper layer with the sorbent sediment with large pores is removed.

There is also the option of instant clarification of the drink with non-fat milk, which creates insoluble compounds. In this case, it is not required to drain the mash from the sediment, which means that the loss of the product before distillation is minimized.

The last way is to add alcohol after the completion of the fermentation process. In this case, it is better to use 25-30% moonshine left over from the previous distillation.

Conclusion

Despite the considerable number of possible ways, most people prefer to lighten the mash with bentonite. This is due to the versatility and efficiency of this method. Other methods are best used for certain types of drink: for example, hibiscus for wines, and gelatin for fruit brews.

Bentonite is one of the most popular sorbents used in the food and industry as a clarifying agent. This natural mineral, better known as white clay, got its name from the large Benton deposit in the United States. Most often used for cleaning sugar and grain mash. The organic origin of the substance gives it a number of advantages:

• antibacterial action - disinfects the environment (in this case, mash) and kills microorganisms;
• chemical inertness - does not enter into compounds with alcohol and its derivatives;
• non-toxic - does not change the taste and smell.

In addition, bentonite is very practical to use. When dissolved in water, it is crowned in size by 10-15 times. This makes it extremely economical. For 10 liters of mash, only 50 grams of clay is required.

The binding of bentonite molecules to yeast cells occurs very quickly. In less than a day, heavy white flakes precipitate. After that, the remaining transparent part can be drained.

Lightening mash with bentonite does not require much effort. You will need to dissolve the dry mixture in warm water until a homogeneous thick porridge without lumps is obtained. Pour a little mash into the finished mixture of bentonite and mix thoroughly. The resulting solution can be poured back and wait for clarification. Depending on the type of clay used, the technology for preparing the solution may differ. Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully.

In addition to the obvious advantages, there are a number of disadvantages. The spongy structure of the substance, together with the yeast, absorbs a lot of liquid. Therefore, the final amount of mash will be 5-10% less than the original.

The main difficulty is the absence in the open sale of a special variety of bentonite intended for winemaking. At home, cosmetic white clay and cat litter are taken as a replacement.

Hibiscus tea

Hibiscus tea is a decoction of Sudanese rose (Hibiscus) petals. A characteristic sour taste and a bright burgundy aroma give the drink fruit acids, which are contained in large quantities in the petals. Acids conscientiously fight microorganisms. Due to this, the plant is perfect for lightening mash.

For 10 liters of finished fermented mash, 70 grams of dry Hibiscus and 700 ml of water will be required. Fill the petals with water, heat, bring to a boil, but do not boil for a long time. We introduce the cooled broth into the mash, mix thoroughly and leave for a day at a comfortable room temperature. The next day, you can drain the mash from the precipitated sediment.

The only drawback is the ability of hibiscus to stain. Clarified mash becomes red. Such a pun. The taste of the finished moonshine after distillation does not suffer in any way. But some smell can be transmitted. Therefore, this method is not suitable for fragrant fruit and grain mash, unlike sugar mash.

Gelatin

Gelatin, in comparison with previous methods, has two advantages. The first is its availability. This product is present in any kitchen and does not require a long search. The second is a gentle, gentle action - pasting. Being a natural coagulant, gelatin binds yeast cells and does not affect the environment in any way. This feature allows it to be used for making fruit moonshine without losing its taste and smell.

Gelatin in this application is very economical. For 10 liters of mash, you need 2 grams of gelatin and 400 ml of water. The process of preparing gelatin is more complicated than other means. Soaking gelatin in water lasts about a day. During this time, the water needs to be replaced 2-3 times. After repeated soaking, the swollen gelatin is again poured with 400 ml of now warm water and added to the mash. The purification process lasts 1-3 days. It ends with the precipitation of flakes and a purified, light color of the liquid.

citric acid

This method, like the variant with Hibiscus, is based on the ability of fruit acids to precipitate microorganisms. The technology is almost identical. For 10 liters of mash, you need to take 25-30 grams of citric acid (1 tablespoon). It does not need to be pre-diluted or soaked, you can immediately add to the mash and mix. The action of the acid not only kills the yeast, but also changes the ph-balance of the liquid. To restore it, after precipitation, you need to add 1 tablespoon of baking soda. This method is considered quite aggressive and it is recommended to clean sugar and grain mash.

milk

The use of milk is absolutely safe for future moonshine. The effectiveness of the method is based on the ability of the milk protein casein to bind fusel oils and form compounds with them that are not destroyed during the distillation process.

For 10 liters of mash, you need to take 1 liter of milk of any fat content. Add milk, stir and wait a while. Literally after 3-4 hours, a suspension of milk and impurities will appear. The sediment is usually thick. Therefore, it is more advisable not to drain the mash, but to filter it. This is done twice: through a gauze filter and through a cotton one. The use of milk is an indirect option on how to clarify the mash, as it requires additional filtration steps.

filter paper

You need to take a funnel, the walls and bottom of which are covered with filter paper or filter discs. You can take ready-made filters for coffee machines. We pour the mash in a thin stream through the funnel, changing the filter paper as it becomes contaminated with yeast sediment.

With this method, there is no need to wait for precipitation from the drink to be purified. Filtration can be started immediately after fermentation stops. Since only impurities remain on the filter, and all the liquid passes through, the loss of the precious drink, which always occurs when draining from the sediment, is minimized.

There are also some difficulties. Transfusion of large volumes takes a long time. You will also have to stock up on filter paper in advance and change it every 1.5-2 liters.