Europe Moonshiners
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First things first I really like your website I have learned so much from it! I am a big moonshine fan and I wanna make my own moonshine. I live in Europe, Hungary, we make our own “moonshine” is called “pálinka” and taste really good. Pálinka is been made legally in distiller factories. Pálinka is made out of fruits for example peach, apple, plum. Our mash is been made out this fruits be turmixing it and than added to a big plastic barrel and next we make a yeast start, leave fermenting about 2-3 weeks, after the fermenting is completed we distill it! I taste really good!
I love pálinka but I want to move to the next level and want make my own Moonshine!
I have read your corn mash recipe on this website and is really good, but I don’t understand few things. My biggest question is that about the mash making process.I will make corn mash. I make malted barley, I will use malted corn! I cook the corn, than add malted corn and make yeast start. That is fine, but I don’t understand that you why remove after cooling grain solids from the liquid. Why can I don’t leave grain solid in the liquid? I have seen “Moonshiners” in Discovery Channel and Tim Smith had leave they grain solids in the liquid?! Or I have it wrong seen it, I don’t know?!
This separating process is weird for me because I think in this sort cooking time can’t the flavors come out the grains. If we make pálinka we leave the grain in the barrel in order to come to the flavors and scents of the fruit out. Then the moonshine to come out the flavors of the ingredients to quickly remove them? I think the grains should be in the fermetingbarrel in the fermenting process to, or this is a big mistake? And what is if I add rye to it? In witch part of process I should add rye to it to make mash and moonshine more tastier?
After all my question is: Why is should or don’t separate grains from the liquid after cooking processes?
I have one more question. It is about yeast. How can I found the best yeast for moonshine? I have read that bread yeast is the best. In Hungary bread yeast is a mushed cube and don’t look like your powered bread yeast. For pálinka I use wine yeast and is very good to make it, but is good for moonshine to. I don’t know. So, how can I find the beast yeast what that makes my moonshine good flavor?! What smell and taste should I feel?
I would be grateful if you would send me a answer!
Yours faithfully Partaly Keny from Hungary! I apologize for spelling mistakes!
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These answers are all from my personal experience, I’m sure others have different onions
—Question) I don’t understand that you why remove after cooling grain solids from the liquid. Why can I don’t leave grain solid in the liquid? I have seen “Moonshiners” in Discovery Channel and Tim Smith had leave they grain solids in the liquid?! Or I have it wrong seen it, I don’t know?!
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Answer: I always remove the solid grains from the liquid because I use a direct fired copper still (either over propane, electric, fire) the solids will burn to the still– it is very difficult to remove burned grains from a copper still and the taste is terrible!
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Question: I think the grains should be in the fermeting barrel in the fermenting process to, or this is a big mistake? And what is if I add rye to it? In witch part of process I should add rye to it to make mash and moonshine more tastier?
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Answer: It is fine to ferment on the grains- a lot of distilleries do it that way, some don’t. I come from a brewing background and I always mash my moonshine mash the same way I brew- I ferment off the grains and I get plenty of flavor. It is a personal preference, many people recommend to ferment on the grains. I honestly have not noticed a difference and I’ve done it both ways. With my setup I find it easier to ferment off the grains.
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Question: How can I found the best yeast for moonshine? I have read that bread yeast is the best. In Hungary bread yeast is a mushed cube and don’t look like your powered bread yeast. For pálinka I use wine yeast and is very good to make it, but is good for moonshine to. I don’t know. So, how can I find the beast yeast what that makes my moonshine good flavor?! What smell and taste should I feel?
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Answer: I use a lot of brewers yeast, wine yeast, bread yeast. I find different yeasts work great for different product. I think bread yeast works best with Rum, I’ve found that wine yeast works best for my brandy, I find that English/American ale yeast works best for a single malt. There is not one perfect yeast- I recommend using what you have available locally- wine yeast is a great yeast and I don’t think you will be disappointed with it.
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Question: And what is if I add rye to it? In witch part of process I should add rye to it to make mash and moonshine more tastier?
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Answer: Add the rye to the mash- I always mash between 148-150 f for 60 minutes.. You want to add the rye when you start mashing as you will pull out flavor and sugars. -
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Hi Partaly Keny: BeverageCommander’s answers are well written. With regards to malted corn, it is functionally not much different than malting barley. Get the corn wet, let it sprout and then dry it (so it stops sprouting). The sprouting of the grain creates an enzyme (amylase) needed to convert starches to sugars. I use a gunny sack and fill it with corn, then soak it in warm water (until all kernels are good and wet). Then put the bag somewhere warm and let the kernels sprout (1-2 weeks). The trick here is to keep it warm, wet/damp/moist throughout the sprouting process, while still getting enough air through it so it doesn’t mold. I roll the gunny sack a couple of times a day, also, to keep the kernels moving – again, to help prevent mold. Once the sprouts are about as long as the kernel itself it’s time to stop the sprouting. If you do not, it will keep sprouting and will eat through the enzyme you are trying to produce. Open the bag, spread the corn out and dry it. I use fans and sunshine. You can heat it – but be careful not to get it above 115F. You don’t want to burn it – just dry it. Of course, if you are using the malt immediately there is no need to dry it. You only need about 15% malt (for the amylase enzyme) in your mash bill to get a proper starch to sugar conversion during mashing. So 85% corn, 15% malted corn (or 15% malted barley, etc.) should suffice.
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Cracked corn is not the same as flaked maize- cracked corn is usually added for flavor and not for sugar extraction. You can extract sugar from the cracked corn but it involved boiling and store bought enzymes. I would just use it for flavor and use the malted barley and sugar for the fermentable sugars.
140°F is a bit low for starch conversion in malted barley. You want to mash between 148-152F. At 140 the conversion is not going to fully happen.
Did you take a hydrometer reading before you added the yeast?
Have you taken a hydrometer reading after the fermentation slowed down?
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but i measured it during the fermentation and sugar degrees was 20 than 15. But i can tast the sugar on it.
You might want to read this article on using a hydromter: http://www.clawhammersupply.com/blogs/moonshine-still-blog/12044309-how-to-use-a-hydrometer
How do I know how much sugar can the yeast convert to alcohol?
If you pitch the correct amount of healthy yeast it should be able to eat the majority of the sugar. I usually start around 1.065 starting gravity and ferment down close to 1.000
How do I know how much yeast can i add to my mash they can convert sugar to alcohol?
I add about 1 tablespoon of yeast per 5 gallons of mash.
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