Content
To make high-quality Jerusalem artichoke moonshine at home, you will have to try. The technology of preparing a drink requires care, strict adherence to proportions and a lot of time. But the resulting unique taste will make you forget about the past difficulties.
The second name of Jerusalem artichoke is earthen pear. This root crop is extremely unpretentious to grow and almost always gives an impressive harvest. Making homemade moonshine will solve the problem with the remains of Jerusalem artichoke, because to prepare 1 liter of the drink, you will need about 10 kg of the plant.
Secrets of making moonshine from Jerusalem artichoke
The finished drink has a refined apple aroma with notes of celery. Properly cooked, it will be soft, without harsh impurities. Fruits differ in size, juiciness, saturation. All these indicators must be taken into account in the process of preparing an alcoholic drink.
Ingredients and their correct ratio are of great importance. Citric acid is added to stabilize acidity. Sugar is optional, but it is often used to make more drinks.
To obtain moonshine from Jerusalem artichoke with high organoleptic characteristics, high quality moonshine stills are used. For the distillation of mash, it is recommended to take a closer look at the models with a rectification column or dry steam boiler.
When all the necessary ingredients have been collected, you can start cooking. There are several recipes. Moonshine turns out to be the most successful when using the classic recipe. To achieve a more refined taste, the root vegetable is fermented.
How to make moonshine from Jerusalem artichoke with yeast
The amount of required ingredients depends on the juiciness of Jerusalem artichoke roots. This indicator is taken into account when calculating sugar and water for mash.
Ingredients:
- Jerusalem artichoke root - 10 kg;
- water - 5-10 liters;
- citric acid - 5 g for each liter of water;
- dry yeast - 25 g or 100 g pressed;
- sugar - 1-2 kg.
Mash preparation:
- Jerusalem artichoke is cleaned from the ground, washed, crushed with a grater.
- Pour the pulp into a large saucepan and pour 3-5 liters of water. The result is a liquid fleshy mass.
- Put the saucepan on the fire and bring to a boil. Then the fire is made smaller and boiled for 60-80 minutes. Periodically, the mass is stirred, thoroughly kneading the lumps. A sign of readiness will be the thick consistency of the brew with a pleasant aroma of baked apples.
- After that, the mixture is allowed to cool to 30 degrees and poured into a fermentation vessel. Add water - 2-3 liters, citric acid - 5 g for each liter of the finished liquid and sugar if desired. Be sure to leave 25% of the free volume in the container for gases and foam.
- After that, yeast is prepared. The powder is dissolved in warm water and sugar is added. After the foam appears on the surface, they can be used. If compressed yeast is used, it is also dissolved. Leave for 15 minutes in a warm place, after which you can add to the mash. For more information, see the packaging.
- Stir all the gruel.
- Now a water seal is installed or a medical glove is put on the neck of the container with the wash instead of it. A small hole is made in it on the finger for the gases to escape.
Such Jerusalem artichoke mash at home is infused for 3-10 days in a dark room with a temperature of 18-27 degrees.The signal to start the next stage is considered to be the absence of emitted gases from the hydraulic seal.
Filtration and distillation order:
- Braga is filtered through cheesecloth. It is better to fold the gauze several times to catch the flesh as much as possible.
- Liquid wash is poured into a distillation cube. The process is carried out without separation into fractions. As soon as the strength of the outgoing drink falls below 30%, the selection is stopped.
- The total strength of the drink is measured and the volume of absolute alcohol is calculated. To do this, the percentage of the fortress is multiplied by the volume and the resulting value is divided by 100.
- Then the liquid is diluted to 18-20% and the mash is re-distilled, but already with separation into fractions.
- The first 15% of absolute alcohol is collected in a separate container. This liquid is prohibited to eat, it is used exclusively for technical needs.
- The main product is collected in prepared containers. At this time, the strength of the drink is controlled and after it falls below 45% in the stream, the collection is stopped.
- At the final stage, moonshine is diluted with water to a fortress of 40-45 degrees and sent to a dark place to brew.
It is better not to use the product right away. After a few days, its taste indicators will noticeably improve. If moonshine is not planned to be consumed in the coming days, it needs to provide storage conditions.
Rustic Jerusalem artichoke moonshine recipe
To prepare such moonshine, the root crop is pre-fermented. To taste, the prepared drink is very similar to tequila, so it can even be served on a festive table.
Ingredients:
- Jerusalem artichoke fruits - 10 kg;
- root vegetable tops - about 50 stems;
- water - 15 liters;
- dry yeast - 10 g;
- sugar - 2 kg.
Fruit preparation:
- Dig a hole 70 cm deep and 1 m in diameter.
- Then bricks or large stones are laid out on the bottom.
- Firewood is laid on stones and bricks. They should be enough for 5-6 hours of burning. During this time, the base for warming up will reach the desired temperature.
- After the firewood burns out, lay out the Jerusalem artichoke tops in a dense layer - 30-40 cm.
- Cooked tubers are evenly laid out on top of the greens.
- Topinambur must be covered on top with a layer of tops of 30-40 cm.
- In this state, the root crop with tops is kept for a day and allowed to cool.
Jerusalem artichoke has a smoked flavor and a golden crust. After that, proceed to the main part of the preparation of moonshine.
Mash preparation:
- Jerusalem artichoke is crushed and filled with water.
- Then it is heated to 50 degrees. Exceeding the temperature is unacceptable due to the chemical composition of the plant.
- Simmer the liquid with Jerusalem artichoke over medium heat for 2-3 hours.
- After the specified time, the mash is cooled naturally.
- After that, the mixture is filtered through cheesecloth and sugar and yeast are added.
- Braga from Jerusalem artichoke baked over a fire reaches in 1-2 days. If you keep it for more than the specified time, it will peroxide.
High-quality moonshine will be released only after 2 stages of distillation. It is important to let the prepared moonshine brew for 3-4 days, during which time it will reach the desired concentration and will delight you with its extraordinary taste.
How to store Jerusalem artichoke moonshine
The prepared Jerusalem artichoke drink is stored in plastic, glass and even wooden containers. The shelf life will also depend on the material chosen. The containers are placed in a place protected from sunlight. Temperature drops are also not recommended. Bottles can be placed in the refrigerator, basement or cabinet.
To give the moonshine additional woody notes, it is placed in oak barrels. This method is not only troublesome, but also unreliable. It is important to properly prepare the barrel, select its volume. If you use the keg without special preparation, the taste of the prepared liquid will change dramatically.
Moonshine is often poured into clean plastic bottles. To do this, select those containers with PET and PEHD / HDPE markings on the bottom.It is a high quality plastic that does not react with liquids. The storage period should not exceed 4-6 months.
The most reliable glass container remains. In it, Jerusalem artichoke moonshine retains its taste, aroma and does not change even for years. Tight-closing lids are essential. The liquid should not come into contact with air. Otherwise, the alcohol will evaporate, and the drink will lose its strength and even change its taste. Ideally, the prepared moonshine is consumed within a year after the spill.
Conclusion
Jerusalem artichoke moonshine at home is a drink worthy of attention of urban and rural residents. The listed recipes will not only solve the problem with the remnants of the root crop, but also help create a drink that is unique in its taste and even healing properties.
