Oak chips magarych instruction. We cook moonshine on oak chips with our own hands: instructions, proportions, ingredients. What components will you need

29.09.2021

Distilled alcohol has a specific and rather unpleasant taste and smell, reminiscent of medicinal alcohol.

That is why many insist on various materials, including oak chips, as well as on oak bark.

Wood chips are prepared in a special way. Incorrect preparation of oak chips for tinctures can spoil the taste and aroma drink.

In this article, we will cover:

what effect oak chips have on the distillate;
how to cook it;
how to regulate the taste and smell of tincture;
how to insist alcohol on oak chips;
how many times can you use wood chips for infusion.

During the infusion of alcohol on wood chips, multiple simultaneous processes.

The mixture of water penetrates into the pores of the wood and leaches the tree sap out of them, which changes the taste, color and smell of alcohol.

If the wood surface is subjected to heat treatment, then under the action of alcohol and water, the destroyed chains of cellulose and lignin are converted into simple sugars, that is, glucose, fructose.

These sugars also mix with alcohol, giving it special taste.

In addition, alcohol interacts with tannins, which impregnate the bark and oak wood, as a result of which some of these substances enter the alcohol, changing its taste.

Oak chips add to the drink cognac color and taste, which not everyone likes, therefore, to improve the taste and color, it is processed in various ways, the most popular of which are frying and soaking.

During caramelization, the chemical chains of cellulose and lignin break down into simple sugars (monosaccharides), which enter the distillate and change its flavor.

Due to the small amount of monosaccharides, they cannot drastically change the taste alcohol, but can spice it up and make something more memorable.

For impregnating wood chips pour sweet wine or other alcoholic drink with a pronounced taste, which they then give to the distillate.

Depending on temperature and time roasting changing influence oak wood for alcohol.

The use of wood chips minimum roasting (temperature 120-160 degrees, time 2-3 hours) gives the distillate a slight smell and taste of vanilla.

Medium roasting (temperature 180–200 degrees, time 6–10 hours) gives the drink a taste and smell of caramel.

Maximum roasting (temperature 200–220 degrees, time 15–20 hours) fills the alcohol-containing liquid with aroma and bitter chocolate flavor.

How to prepare material for infusion?

Chips can be of various sizes and shapes, from cubes with a side size of a few cm, up to large slats or small chips. Chip shape only affects convenience. pouring it into a container with distillate, because sometimes it is insisted in bottles, and it is difficult to pour large cubes or planks there.

The size of the material affects impregnation rate alcohol and the intensity of metabolic processes, therefore, for short-term infusion better to use thin wood chips, but thicker material is better for a long time.

However, no one bothers to do, and vice versa, the difference in the results is so insignificant that the determining factor is the convenience of obtaining wood chips.

You only need to make chips from healthy wood, for example, branches from a nearby oak tree. It is undesirable to use an oak board or any oak product for this, because they treated with different reagents, protecting against moisture, bacteria or fire.

If you put such wood in a container with distillate, then instead of a pleasant tincture, you get something undrinkable.

Sometimes a fresh branch is used for infusion, but due to the huge amount of tannins it first you need to cut into chips, then boil for a long time in water with the addition of soda and rinse in clean running water.

If this is not done, then the drink will get too sharp astringent and tart taste, and bad smell.

However, chips from aged wood will have to be soaked and boiled, because even in them the amount of tannins is still too high.

When the wood is cured 6–12 months in a dry, ventilated room, the amount of tannins in it will decrease, so the chips from it will be more useful. Mandatory condition - wood should be without bark, after all, it is in the bark that most tannins are contained.

For the manufacture of chips, you can use any method, because it size and shape don't really matter., so we recommend that you carefully read the article Do-it-yourself chips.

Soaking and boiling

Suitable for soaking spring water. Tap water can be used, but not at all stages, it can not be boiled and rinsed, but it is suitable for soaking if it settles for a day.

To soak wood chips from wood that has lain for at least six months, enough days, however, soaking fresh material will require 2–3 days.

Chopped wood is poured with water so that the water is in 5-6 times larger in volume. Water is changed every 6-8 hours.

When the soaking time is over, the chopped wood is washed with spring or other clean water, then filled with saline solution(a tablespoon per 1 liter of water) for 2-3 hours, after which they will rinse again.

Then wood chips boil down, for which it is desirable to use stainless steel container because indelible marks remain on enamelware.

You can try to boil it in an aluminum pan, but sometimes traces still remain on the walls, so it is better to use a stainless steel container.

Chips from aged wood boiled in running water for an hour changing the water every 20-30 minutes.

Chips from fresh wood are first boiled for an hour in soda solution the same concentration as indicated above, then rinsed and boiled for another 1-2 hours in running water. Only after that the wood can be send to dry.

Sometimes experienced moonshiners and distillers neglect boiling and soaking, but in doing so they use wood harvested at the end of winter, before the start of the resumption of sap flow and aged in a cut state for several years.

In addition, they select more suitable roasting modes, which to some extent compensate for the increase in the amount of tannins, making the taste of the finished drink sharper and more pleasant.

Drying

The drying time depends on the size of the chips, therefore:

for chips and other small things is 5-7 days;
for planks and cubes 1 cm thick or more may take 2-4 weeks.

It is necessary to dry chopped wood in a dry, ventilated room with a temperature over +15 degrees. The maximum temperature is not limited.

After drying, the chips are roasted using an oven or gas burner. Drying is necessary to increase the efficiency of roasting, because the more water in the wood, the more steam will be released, which will reduce the temperature of the outer surface.

caramelization

Sometimes roasting is called caramelization, because monosaccharides, which appear as a result of the destruction of polysaccharides, smell of caramel. Further roasting results in chocolate smell.

If an oven is used for caramelization, then the chopped wood is laid on aluminum foil in a thin layer (maximum 1 cm).

If frying is carried out using a gas burner, then the chips are placed in a large ceramic container, periodically stirring and turning over.

Sometimes for frying large planks use a bonfire, but this method of caramelization is very difficult due to the fact that it is very difficult to maintain a constant temperature in a given range.

There is no perfect recipe roasting, because it is impossible to accurately determine the effect of this process on the final product.

For this it is necessary conduct a series of experiments, but even this approach does not guarantee that those who decide to repeat it will have identical results. After all, the assessment of the taste and smell of the tincture is based on subjective perception, so a lot depends on who will take the sample.

However, the general principles of roasting are the same - the wood is exposed to hot air or open fire, constantly monitoring the condition of the chips.

If the roasting temperature less than 120 degrees, then there is no destruction of the chains of polysaccharides. At a temperature over 220 degrees not only polysaccharides are destroyed, but also monosaccharides, which react with oxygen and oxidize to form singed areas.

Therefore, it is necessary to experiment, keeping within the temperature range of 120–220 degrees.

petty scorched wood chips clean up, but with a large cut off charred areas.

Often, it is the charred and trimmed bars that give the best result when infused, giving the alcohol the taste of real dark chocolate.

Used for frying electric and gas ovens, because they provide simultaneous heating of wood from all sides.

In addition, the influx of fresh air into the oven is minimal, as a result of which the wood does not char, but caramelizes, that is, polysaccharides do not oxidize, but break down into monosaccharides.

This way of roasting more suitable for inexperienced and beginners distillers, because even a slight excess of temperature and processing time is not critical.

How to burn the oven?

The best way to achieve caramelization at home is to toast oak chips in the oven:

The oven is heated to a temperature 150–210 degrees(depending on the degree of roasting, the correct mode can only be selected through experimentation).
chips pour out onto a baking sheet in 1 layer.
The baking sheet is placed in the oven and the door is tightly closed.
Checked every 20 minutes the color of the chips, viewing it through the glass of the door.

As soon as the color reaches the desired value, the oven is turned off and left to cool. It is undesirable to take out hot chips or open the door during roasting, because wood can flare up and char.

Here is the effect of the color of the chips on the taste of the final product:

Golden- a slight aftertaste of vanilla and a barely noticeable bitterness.
Brown- the taste of almonds and caramel appears, and the bitterness intensifies.
Almost black(without scorching) - the taste and smell of dark chocolate and freshly brewed black tea appears.

How to fry in a pan?

In the absence of an oven, you can also use a frying pan for caramelization. It must have a thick bottom.

You need to fry over medium heat, stirring and watching the color of the product.

However, to fry oak chips in a pan must be constantly monitored state of chips, and this is not very convenient. Therefore, most users choose the oven.

Impregnation

This operation is then performed when taste, color and smell, which give alcohol oak chips, do not like. For impregnation, you can use both alcohol-containing liquids of any strength, and various juices.

They will not radically change the taste, color and smell, but even slight aftertaste or a hint of smell can turn an ordinary into a noble drink.

Soak the chips that have been pre-treated as described in the previous sections, including roasting them.

Depending on the thickness soaking can take 5-50 hours, after which the wood is dried for several hours in a ventilated room or on the street and placed in a container for infusion.

Sometimes, to make the drink similar to or tequila, chips insist on tails remaining during distillation. A small amount of "tails" gives the drink some fuselity, but this is exactly what distinguishes whiskey or tequila from vodka.

Proportions per liter and the time during which you need to keep in alcohol

clear proportions alcohol and oak chips does not exist. Some masters say that 5-10 grams of wood chips are enough per liter of moonshine, chacha or other distillate, others declare the need to use 20-50 grams.

If there are no scales, then you can measure the material with a tablespoon. A tablespoon holds 3-5 grams of wood chips.

In addition, there is no agreement on the time during which the wood chips must be kept in alcohol. Some say that 10-15 days is enough, others say that 3-6 months, or even more, are needed.

Regardless of the amount of wood and the time of infusion there is a general rule, which states that alcohol can only take a strictly defined amount of substances from wood.

Therefore, an excess of wood chips will not cause an increased content of these substances.

Nevertheless, total intake may be much higher than the comfort level and the taste of the product will deteriorate.

Therefore, by changing the amount of chopped wood and the time of infusion, you can change characteristics drink, adjusting its taste, smell and color.

For infusion, glass containers are needed, which can be close hermetically, or at least tight.

A slight loss of strength (2-5%), which can occur due to a leaky lid, will not spoil the product, because when in oak barrels, 10-20% of its strength is lost, which manufacturers call the "angels' share".

Containers with alcohol and oak chips are placed in a dark cool place and check their condition every 5-10 days. The condition of the tincture is checked by color, taste and smell.

Can it be reused and how many times?

At the end, the spirit is drained and filtered to separate the chips, which can be reused for infusion. 3-5 more times.

And the used wood no need to soak, boil or fry, it is immediately sent either for soaking or for infusion.

insistence on the bark

In addition to wood chips for infusion of alcoholic beverages, you can also use. Most moonshine insist on oak bark.

However, the technology for its application very different. After all, the content of cellulose and hemicellulose, as well as lignin in the bark is noticeably less, but much higher proportion of juices and resins.

And this applies not only to the bast (inner), but also to the outer layer of the bark.

Another difference is that the can't be fried for caramelization, because the outer layers start to char before the cellulose and hemicellulose of the bast layer break down into monosaccharides.

Oak bark for moonshine at home is prepared in the same way as wood chips - first the material is soaked, then boiled and dried.

These operations not only remove excess tree sap, but also remove dust that has entered the pores of the outer layers.

To insist on moonshine on oak bark, for a start cut or break into pieces of a suitable size, then put in a jar of alcohol. A liter of drink will require a tablespoon of the outer layers of the bark or a teaspoon of the bast layer. Next, you need to let it brew and moonshine on oak bark is ready.

smack bark-infused alcohol less wealthy than a drink infused with oak wood, therefore, in addition to the bark, other components are also used, such as:

herbs;
leaves;
flowers;
spices.

The simultaneous use of honey and bark not only adds sweetness finished product, but also fills the pores of the bark with sugars, due to which the infusion of the next batch of alcoholic beverage, even without the addition of honey, will give it barely noticeable sweet aftertaste.

The choice of bark breed is done in the same way as the choice of wood chips, because the composition of juices and resins in wood and bark layers is approximately the same.

Despite the fact that there are some recommendations on the use of one or another breed to obtain the desired taste, each master independently develops his own recipes, thanks to which his drinks acquire a unique pleasant aftertaste.

Conclusion

The taste of alcoholic tinctures on oak chips and bark much nicer than pure distillate. By changing the technology of wood preparation and the aging time of the drink, you can adjust such parameters as taste, smell or color.

Now you know how to choose the material for making oak chips and how to use the chips to infuse distilled alcohol.

In contact with

In order for moonshine to taste and smell like more noble cognac or whiskey, you should figure out how and from what oak chips for moonshine are prepared at home. This is the most important component that allows you to transfer a certain amount of tannins to alcohol, due to which the drink acquires a characteristic amber color and astringent taste. Not everyone knows that in order to prepare a product, it is necessary to select the right raw materials, as well as to know the degree of roasting. From this will hang the fortress of the final result.

Looking for the right tree

When choosing oak, it should be borne in mind that its place of growth is reflected in the taste of an alcoholic beverage, regardless of the purpose for which oak chips are used - cognac, vodka or whiskey. The taste qualities of the same alcohol will differ if the product is insisted on the same species of oak, but growing in different regions.

Even the growth of the tree matters - the Crimean, Krasnodar and Caucasian forests are well suited for Russia

Tasters among all the variations distinguish oak, which grows in France. It is clear that not everyone has the opportunity to get a branch of a real French tree, so we will pay more attention to the domestic flora. Trees from the following regions are suitable for concentration:

Khadyzhensky;
Apsheron;
Afipsky.

It should also be noted that more valuable tree species grow in the Republic of Crimea, Tatarstan, Ukraine, Belarus and the Caucasus.

For moonshine, oak chips obtained from areas with high humidity are not suitable, since they contain a very high concentration of tannins, which spoils the organoleptics of the product.

It matters not only where it grows, but also what you are going to use. We need branches up to 5 years old, but not younger than 2 without bark. The trunk does not fit categorically, the old branches are similar. You can not take blanks from sawmills, where wood is treated with antiseptics.

What affects the change in taste

With the right selection of chips for infusing drinks and following the recommendations of experts, you will get soft-tasting alcohol, with a pleasant tart aftertaste and rich aroma. The change in the characteristics of the drink occurs for the following reasons:

Oak chips act as an adsorbent. The pores of the wood material absorb components that boil even at low temperatures. This list includes substances that cannot be completely eliminated in the distillation process. Therefore, long-term infusion in a barrel or on wood chips shows significantly better results than alcohol infused with other raw materials.

It is easier to work with chips - they are suitable for any container, while at the same time adsorbing harmful impurities

The composition of the tree contains a variety of chemical elements, they make the drink softer. In addition to the fact that alcohol gets a new taste, color and smell, the components from the wood chips also bind especially dangerous compounds. Therefore, tincture is often prepared for medicinal purposes.
If you prepare oak bark for infusion, then you will end up with a "bitters" with a red-brown color. And thanks to the tannin contained in the product, the drink will get a tart aftertaste.

Oak bark contains a large amount of tannin, which gives a tart aftertaste, but compared to chips, the bark is much less valuable.

We make oak chips with our own hands

The product is sold in a specialized store, but those who want to experiment can make oak chips for moonshine with their own hands. For this you need to follow the steps:

dry part of the log at room temperature for 1-2 weeks and peel it from the bark;

The bark can not be thrown away and left for the preparation of healing infusions.

cut the log into pegs measuring 20x20x100 mm;
place the prepared oak chips for cognac or whiskey in clean cold water for a day, while changing the liquid to a new one every 7 hours;
in a separate container, mix 10 liters of water with 2 tablespoons of soda, send the stakes to infuse for 8 hours, then rinse well;
then put in a saucepan, fill it with clean water and bring to a boil, boiling for 45-50 minutes;
place the workpiece on a baking sheet and send it to the oven for 2 hours at different temperatures, depending on the desired taste.

VIDEO: Home cooking technology

Firing time and temperature

Roasting oak chips in the oven is considered an important step; the aroma of future alcohol depends on the level of roasting. To achieve the desired result, you should know how to properly burn the product to obtain different smells:

minimum processing 2 hours at a temperature up to 120 ° - the smell will give off vanilla, berries and a little smoke

Minimum

medium 2 hours 150-160°С - aroma of caramel in combination with almonds

Medium Rare (Medium)

maximum 2 hours 180-185°C - the drink will acquire a rich smoked and chocolate smell with a similar aftertaste

Strong roast

Chips are wrapped tightly in foil before being placed in the oven to prevent smoke from escaping. If this is not done, there will simply be nothing to breathe in the room.

If soot appeared on the logs - black burnt marks, it is no longer possible to use them for tincture.

This is the final stage in the preparation of chips, then you should choose the right base, calculate the required number of stakes (on average 50 grams per liter) and use one of the most suitable tincture recipes.

Which moonshine to choose

After the oak chips for cognac are prepared, you can proceed to the selection of moonshine. There are three main types of raw materials made on:

fruits;
grain crops and cereals;
sugar and yeast.

The first two options are great for making chacha, but it depends on the taste preferences of the taster. The best option is sugar moonshine.

The fact is that fruit or grain distillate has various components that react with the chemical constituents of wood. Such a process can give a completely unexpected result that does not meet the manufacturer's expectations.

As previously reported, fruity notes can be achieved by frying chips - small cubes that are quickly and thoroughly fried. Therefore, before you burn the pegs, you need to understand what taste you are trying to achieve. In addition, you can use special nutritional supplements, a few drops of essence can completely change the smell and taste of alcohol.

Cognac essence - some winemakers add a few drops of concentrated liquid aroma along with infusion on pegs

The process of moonshine on oak chips

After carrying out the above manipulations, you should calculate how much oak chips per liter of moonshine. In this case, the following proportions must be observed:

moonshine with a strength of 45 ° - 1 l;
sliver - 40-60 gr.

It turns out that 3 liters of drink will require an average of 150 gr. wood chip. Moonshine should be infused in a glass container or a tank consisting of stainless steel. Bars are placed in it and filled with distillate to the very brim to reduce the volume of air.

Next, the container must be hermetically sealed with a lid, and then placed in a dark, cool place for at least 2 months, and preferably for six months or a year. You can also increase the duration of infusion, the longer this process lasts, the softer the drink will be.

VIDEO: Moonshine on wood chips: apple, cherry, plum, pear, oak

Common Mistakes

Novice distillers, out of inexperience, often make mistakes when making wood chips at home. The result is a tincture with a strange taste of plinth. To avoid an unpleasant situation, the following factors should be considered:

no need to bake the pegs for a long time, in this case more does not mean better;
it is not recommended to use a raw log, it contains a large amount of tannins;
do not use plastic or plastic containers to infuse the drink, the distillate will absorb chemical components and the smell of plastic during the exposure time;
experts strongly advise against using a large amount of fragrant herbs, spices and other spices in the recipe, as well as insisting the drink on them for a long time;
do not use an untested recipe when making a large volume of tincture, it is better to first verify the quality of the result by preparing a small container.

VIDEO: Homemade tincture is better than Hennessy

It is difficult to imagine the world of alcoholic beverages if one of our ancestors did not notice the influence of an oak barrel on their taste and aroma. According to experts, about 80% of the taste of whiskey, cognacs, calvados, rums and other aged distillates is obtained from an oak barrel. Today, becoming the owner of quality has become available to almost everyone. But before ordering a cask, which is somewhat difficult to own, we decided to tell you about beer refining with oak chips as an effective, inexpensive and fairly simple way to turn homemade beer, wine or aromatic distillate into something incredibly tasty and with a hint of authenticity.

Oak as a source of flavor and aroma in drinks

Oak for the production of barrels was chosen for a reason. First of all, it is valued for its ability to retain liquids due to the structure of the wood, mainly due to the formation of tyloses (growths inside the vascular system of the tree that prevent it from drying out during drought) and multi-level medullary rays. Oak wood is also quite strong and elastic, which makes it possible to form curved barrel parts from it. But more importantly, oak wood, after heat treatment, contains many different compounds that in one way or another affect the color, taste and aroma of the drink.

American and European oaks, which are traditionally used to make barrels, have a similar wood structure, consisting of cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. None of these structural polymers are subject to extraction or dissolution in their original form. Only after drying and heat treatment (in order to give the oak riveting a curved shape, it is first steamed out), they depolymerize, forming many more complex compounds that are subject to extraction with alcohols. More than 100 extractable volatile components have been identified in the structure of heat-treated oak. Among them: 35 aliphatic compounds (do not contain aromatic bonds), 54 aromatic compounds, furans and terpenes. Also found at least 7 fatty acids.

Most of the flavors and aromas typical of oak-aged drinks are obtained from the decomposition of lignin, which, after depolymerization, forms aromatic compounds such as vanillin, vanillic acid and sinigaldehyde. The degradation products of lignin have low sensory thresholds and therefore have a great influence on the development of the sensory qualities (flavor and aroma) of the aged beverage. Charred American barrels produce large amounts of volatile phenols such as guaiacol and syringol (which is why charred wood chips are most commonly used). It has been found that some desirable compounds for the organoleptic qualities of bourbon are found deep in the charred wood, up to 6mm under the charcoal (one of the advantages of deep roast oak cubes, which are typically 10mm on sides). Hemicelluloses, after hydrolysis under the influence of acids and other factors, form monosaccharides that give softness to drinks.

Otherwise, the main compounds formed after the depolymerization of structural polymers contribute the following flavors to drinks:

vanillin- vanilla;
apocynin(acetovanilon) - vanilla;
eugenol- spicy, green;
isoeugenol- spicy, green;
guaiacol- cloves;
ethyl guaiacol- sweet, medical;
vinyl guaiacol- clove, smoky, peppery;
trans-β-methyl-γ-octalactone- nutty, smoky, astringent;
cis-β-methyl-γ-octalactone- nutty, smoky, coconut, woody;
cinnamaldehyde(cinnamal) - cinnamon;
sinigaldehyde- sour, lilac;
p-coumaric acid- balsamic;
cinnamic acid- floral, honey.

In other words, without the influence of oak, many drinks lose most of the flavors and aromas for which we appreciate them so much. But taste isn't everything. Oak contains substances of the tannin group, which are an important component of any wine. They prevent the oxidation of white and red wines during their maturation, make them stronger, and also contribute to clarification after the completion of alcoholic fermentation. Tannins are also an important element of the "structure" of taste - thanks to them, the wine seems "dry". After all, oak barrel aging helps oxidize some of the compounds in raw brews, making them more wholesome and round. And all this magic can be done at home, using oak chips for refining.

Oak chips for refining drinks

Not every alcohol enthusiast, especially a resident of a metropolis, can afford a barrel, because it takes up a lot of space and requires special conditions. However, there is an easier and more affordable way to give the drink the necessary "oak sensory" - to use oak chips (chips, cubes, spirals, etc.). oak chips- These are segments of oak wood prepared according to a special scheme. A small number of such segments in a drink can, in a fairly short period of time, enrich it with flavors and aromas typical for aging on oak. And time in this case plays a very important role.

Even in a small barrel of 5-50 liters, which are most often used at home, the drink acquires the characteristics necessary for it to be considered aged, not earlier than 4-6 months. At the same time, a decent amount of alcohol evaporates from the barrel through the pores, up to 500 ml per month - this is the so-called "angels' share". Even if you observe the necessary storage conditions with optimal temperature and humidity, as well as cover the barrel with wax, the "angels' share" will be at least 200 ml / month. Agree, for a home distiller, this is a decent loss. But they can be avoided, because the refinement of drinks with oak chips takes place in hermetically sealed glass containers, and they acquire the necessary organoleptic, due to the increase in the contact area with oak, in just 1-3 months.

During industrial processing, oak wood blanks are crushed into oblong segments, small chips, cubes, or other shapes are made from them, for example, spirals. After that, they are soaked in water, then in water with soda, then steamed and dried. Such treatment is necessary for the complete disinfection of wood and the removal of an excessive amount of tannins from it, which adversely affect the taste of drinks. After that, the chips are either left in this form, or fried. The degree of roasting affects the taste of the aged drink, as well as its color (however, the distillate aged on properly prepared wood chips will still have a weak or intense straw color):

light roast– subtle vanilla, fruity and floral aromas;
medium rare- pronounced vanilla, almond, coconut, spices, caramel;
deep roast- smoky and chocolate aromas.

Unfired or lightly roasted chips are used during the processing of grapes and alcoholic fermentation of wine - it increases the tannin content and brings fruit, almond, vanilla and woody undertones to the drink. For aging beer, wine and distillates, it is recommended to use medium to strong wood chips. It is advisable to prepare the chips before use. To do this, you need to dip it in boiling water for 5-10 minutes for sterilization, and then insist on raw alcohol for 1-2 days to remove excess tannins. During the aging process of any drinks, samples should be taken regularly, since excessive infusion of the drink on the wood chips can lead to not the most pleasant taste sensations (in the people, a drink overly saturated with oak is called “skirting”).

Dosage, infusion time and use of oak chips

The most important question that a brewer, winemaker or distiller should ask himself is how much wood chips should be used to refine the drink? In fact, this decision remains with him, but there are certain recommendations that we have formed in the form of a simple table:

Oak chips and strong alcohol

To give homemade distillates the properties of drinks aged in an oak barrel, chips of medium or strong roast are placed directly into the distillate at the rate of 2-30 g of chips per 1 liter of drink (2-4 g / l is enough in most cases). Before adding wood chips, the distillate must be diluted to a strength of 45-55% alcohol by volume. It is believed that the strength of the drink affects its ability to extract certain compounds from wood. For example, 55-50% distillate will “pull out” more aromatics from the wood chips, and with a strength of 45-49% - more monosaccharides from hemicellulose, which will make it softer. Based on these properties of wood chips, the distillate can be infused in two stages: first, for some time at a strength of 50-55%, and then complete the exposure, diluting it to 49-45%.

The time of infusion depends on the degree of roasting of the chips and its size, but on average it is 1-3 months. During aging, it is recommended to periodically "ventilate" the drink, leaving the container without a lid for about 1 hour - this will stimulate the oxidative processes necessary for the formation of a whole and rounded taste of the distillate.

On a note! Many noble drinks are aged in wine barrels, due to which they acquire completely new flavors. This technique can be adopted and, at the stage of preparing the wood chips, before use, soak it not in raw alcohol, but in any wine suitable for this (traditionally it is sherry and port wine, but you can try dry red wines from different grape varieties). Wood chips can also be soaked in bourbon - many producers of Scotch whiskey and rum use barrels from American whiskey to age their drinks, which, by law, can only be aged in new charred barrels.

Oak chips and wine

Traditionally, a variety of wines are aged in barrels. Well performed in this: Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Chianti, Burgundy wines, Fume Blanc, Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, Shiraz and Pinot Blanc. Unfired chips are traditionally used at the stage of grape processing and serve as a source of tannins (proportions in the table). Also, it and low-roasted wood chips are used in the process of wine fermentation - so wood chips not only participate in the formation of strong, transparent and fairly “dry” wine, but also have a strong influence on its taste. For aging wine in order to give it an "oak sensory" wood chips of medium or strong roast are used. Before use, it must be prepared according to the scheme described above, while maintaining maximum sterility in order to avoid contamination of the wine.

On a note! To refine wines, it is safer to use a concentrate: infuse a small amount of wine on a sufficiently large amount of wood chips (about 10 g/l), and then blend it with the main batch of the drink.

Oak chips and beer

Some beers are aged in oak barrels to give them oaky flavors and aromas, as well as to create a flavor profile typical of older styles that used to be stored and transported in oak barrels. Oak is most closely related to English and some Scottish ales such as aged ales, stouts, porters, brown ales, IPAs and bitters. Some brewers use wood chips in Belgian styles. Very rarely, oak can be traced in the dark varieties of Central Europe, for example, in the sides and schwarzbiers. The recommended dosage varies from 0.5 to 3 g of chips / chips / cubes per 1 liter of beer. It is a common practice to impregnate wood chips with noble spirits or wine. Terms: from 1 to 2 weeks with constant tasting.

On a note! So-called "oak tea" is often used to refine the beer with oak, which allows more precise control of the taste. To prepare it, the required amount of oak chips must be poured with water and boiled for 10-15 minutes. The resulting oak decoction must be added to the beer in small batches until the desired taste is obtained.

How to choose wood chips for refining drinks

About 300 types of oak are known to mankind, but traditionally, barrels from the two most common types are used to age strong alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, dark rum, cognac, Calvados, etc., as well as some types of beer and wine. In North America, white oak (Quercus alba) dominates, barrels from which are ideal for roasting and subsequent exposure to bourbon. On the opposite coast of the Atlantic, most distillates are aged in pedunculate oak wood (Quercus robur), sometimes called European, English or French oak. Pedunculate oaks, along with other European species (Q. sessilis, Q. petraea and Q. sessiflora), are considered the best for aging distillates.

In Russia, sessile oak (Q. petraea) is traditionally used to make barrels, the groves of which occupy more than half of the entire forested area of the Caucasus. Joint studies of domestic and French scientists have shown that the Caucasian oak has all the necessary properties for the manufacture of high-quality wine barrels. To date, Caucasian sessile oak barrels are widely used for refining alcoholic beverages not only in the former Soviet Union, but also in Western Europe, including for cognac aging in France. That is why most of the wood chips presented in our online store are made from high-quality sessile oak wood from the Caucasus.

Chips come in different shapes and sizes. The most common form factor is oblong segments 10-12 cm long and 4x4 mm in section. This size is considered optimal, since it has been proven that alcohol, with a short maturation, penetrates into the wood by at least 2 mm. Elongated segments are best used for aging - they are easy to remove and dose. The so-called oak chips are small chips, respectively, they provide a faster extraction. Chips are the best option for use during grape processing and alcoholic fermentation, but also perform well when aging drinks (may need to reduce the time). Cubes with a side length of 10 mm are conveniently soaked in noble, already aged distillates. In addition, oak cubes, due to their relatively large size, can be reused - segments and chips are quickly developed and it is impractical to reuse them.

Not everyone has the opportunity (and desire) to buy an oak barrel for aging moonshine in it. Maybe the use of a keg is right from a technological point of view. But just think - alcohol poured into a barrel is left alone in the cellar for a couple of years to get a good homemade brandy!

So our resourceful people came up with the insistence of moonshine on oak chips or even on the bark bought at the pharmacy. The method is convenient, accelerated, giving a result similar to that which needs to be achieved for three years!

The best result will be obtained if you use moonshine obtained from, or even by distilling a failed one.

The product of processing wine material into strong alcohol is also called cognac spirit. Already initially it has a pleasant taste and aroma, and upon contact with raw oak it acquires fruit, vanilla, chocolate and even floral notes. It depends on the quality of the oak chips or bark and the steeping time.

But moonshine (preferably with a strength of at least 45%), obtained using fruits, cereals (barley, wheat, corn, rye), sugar, is also suitable for infusion. Upon contact of strong alcohol with oak bark or wood, tannins gradually transform moonshine into a noble drink, changing color, aroma and taste.

It will take oak raw material. Other additives are also possible: spices, herbs, but more on that below, in the recipes for moonshine on oak bark or sawdust or wood chips.

An interesting aftertaste, aroma is obtained using apple or cherry wood.

Elite barrels are made from the middle part of a log of at least a hundred-year-old oak. Even under adverse growing conditions, the thickness of the log is from 30 cm in diameter. Therefore, having such a log, you still need to know how to make oak chips. Prick with an ax thin pegs 10 cm long and 2 cm thick.

Preparation of raw oak

Many people think that moonshine tincture on oak chips (bark) is prepared in an elementary way: add raw materials to a jar and wait until the liquid turns into or into brandy. In fact, it's more difficult.

Raw raw oak contains too many substances that are bad for the taste and organoleptic characteristics of alcohol. Therefore it need to prepare in advance.

In the manufacture of oak barrels, after the hoops are already stuffed on them, they are certainly fired: burning sawdust is thrown inside and the almost finished barrel is wrapped around its axis.

Each cooper adheres to his own technology and burns in his own way (letting the wood burn stronger or weaker) or focusing on the wishes of the client.

The processing of raw materials is based on the same technology. If wood chips are used for moonshine, the material needs certain processing steps:

Soak overnight in cold water. At the same time, twice (every 8 hours) the water is changed to a new one.
A day later, after draining the water, soda soaking is carried out: a spoonful of ordinary soda is diluted in 5 liters of warm water (it does not dissolve in cold water) for hours and chips are soaked for 6.
The washed raw materials are placed in a pot of water, boiled for 45 minutes (counting from the moment of boiling).
They take it out, wash it again and dry it in the air or in the attic for several days. The material must be dry.
Lay out on a baking sheet, put in the oven, which is preheated to 150 ° C. Here it is important to follow and burn to the condition you need. Get a medium roast in 2 hours.

From the degree to which the material is burned, the taste notes and aroma of the future tincture on oak wood depend:

Light firing(for a barrel it is determined by a cooper by eye, when using crushed material it stops as soon as smoke appears) will give the tincture a subtle vanilla tint, fruit and flower notes will appear.
Medium firing(with the appearance of smoke and smell, but no color change) provides more pronounced flavors: your moonshine will take on notes of coconut, almonds, caramel or spices.
Strong firing(when the color of the wood begins to change, but it has not turned black), will saturate the final product with a smoky flavor and a hint of chocolate (real Scotch whiskey is aged in heavily toasted casks).

The aroma and taste tones depend not only on the degree of roasting, but also on the raw materials used. It is important that it be of high quality: not spoiled by insects or kept in adverse conditions, from a not too young tree. It's a good idea to use ready-made chips, so there is a certain quality guarantee.

You can store burnt, ready-to-eat raw materials for several years in a linen bag in a dry place.

Recipe for infusion on oak chips

The simplest moonshine recipe on oak chips includes only two ingredients: wood chips and strong homemade alcohol. You need to take a strong one (this is an indispensable condition, the fortress is at least 45 °, better - 50 or 60 °), and decide how much oak chips per liter of moonshine.

Usually you need to take 25 grams of wood chips. With a larger amount, an unpleasant aftertaste will appear, with a smaller amount, the drink will not pick up the desired aroma and color. Cooking order:

Cooking chips, as described above. Purchased in a store or on the Internet, oak chips for moonshine are already fried, you only need to choose the degree of roasting.
You can do nothing with freshly roasted raw materials. Both home-made and purchased wood chips that have lain for a while should be placed in the oven or under the microwave grill and fry a little so that a pleasant aroma appears, like from a burning fireplace. Make sure it doesn't really catch fire!
Add the right amount of wood chips to the jar of moonshine, close it tightly (you can even roll it up, it's not wine - it won't explode), put it in the basement, and forget it for 2-3 months.
About once a week, watch how the color changes and take a sample for organoleptic indicators. At moonshine on oak chips, the shade gradually changes: first to yellowish, and then to cognac. Taste and aroma change.
Next, the moonshine on oak chips should be drained, filtered if necessary, and let it rest in the glass for another 5 days. This will help stabilize and reveal the taste.

When insisting focus on your own taste. You should not overexpose the tincture if it already suits you. Sometimes two weeks is enough, sometimes it takes 3 months.

Flavored tincture on oak bark

For moonshine tincture on oak bark, use pharmacy bark, you can also personally removed from the tree (do not overdo it with the amount of bark removed!). Sawdust can also be used if you have it.

Oak bark is usually not burned, but if homemade alcohol is insisted on it, the taste will turn out to be too harsh. When you add a certain set of additional components, you will get a drink that is very similar to traditional cognac.

For 3 liters of 50-degree moonshine you will need:

oak bark - 3 tbsp. spoons;
a spoonful of honey;
1 st. a spoonful of St. John's wort and oregano (oregano);

Raw material is better to take pharmacy: it is well dried and there is at least some guarantee of the quality of raw materials. Yes, and you will buy St. John's wort exactly perforated (it is curative, which cannot be said about fellows - rough or tetrahedral). And don't confuse oregano with thyme.

allspice - 10 peas;
5 carnations;
a little vanillin and ground coriander.

After mixing everything, insist 2 weeks. Special temperature conditions are not required, put in a closed cabinet. Shake daily.

First, strain the finished drink through a colander or gauze, then filter it so that the moonshine on oak bark becomes completely transparent, remaining colored in cognac color.

It is convenient to filter any alcoholic drinks through cotton pads twisted into a tube and inserted into the neck of a plastic bottle with a cut bottom. Choose a 1.5 liter bottle with a long neck that goes deep into the jar and securely holds an impromptu filter watering can.

Imitation whiskey at home

Actually, grain moonshine is already half of whiskey, it remains only to “bring” it to the desired condition.

The best "analogue" of Scotch whiskey will turn out if you use it, but you can get by with the usual one. The shade, of course, will be slightly different, but not everyone is a whiskey connoisseur.

Option 1

It is very easy to make a complete imitation of the drink that the British are so proud of, if you properly prepare oak pegs, burn them and insist on moonshine.

To prepare oak chips for moonshine with your own hands for this recipe, you need to have oak wood without bark. Pieces can be quite large- so that they only pass into the jar and be no higher than 2/3 of its height.

Wrap each peg tightly in foil and place on a wire rack or baking sheet. Bake 3 hours in the oven. Choose the temperature depending on the desired taste and aroma:

120°C - there will be a slight aftertaste and aroma of oak;
150°C - pronounced taste, as with prolonged infusion;
200 ° C - there is a hint of vanilla;
220°C - chocolate flavor with a hint of smoke;
270°C - almond flavor.

In order for moonshine on oak chips to become completely similar to whiskey, you need to quickly and along the entire length burn the pegs with a gas burner after being removed from the oven.

Place 2 pegs in each jar and pour strong home-made alcohol (at least 45 °, better - closer to 60 °).

In Scotch and Japanese whiskey, the fortress can reach up to 70 °, but they drink it exclusively in a diluted form. And some types can be as low as 30° when bottled, as connoisseurs believe that high degrees kill flavor.

Such moonshine is infused in the cellar, the basement needs from 3 months to a year. Prolonged infusion improves the taste.

Option 2

In this recipe, oak bark and moonshine will create a wonderful tandem for high-quality whiskey imitation. We will insist moonshine on oak bark with other ingredients.

To get a whiskey tincture on oak bark, it is better to take grain moonshine, in extreme cases - sugar. Let's leave fruit and grape to create.

Let's take 3 liters of moonshine:

3 art. spoons (better - measured) oak bark. Steam it with boiling water, leave for 15 minutes, salt and pour cold water for the same time. We drain the water and you can use it.
50 g of charcoal. You can make it yourself if you burn a small log - apple, birch, oak. Thoroughly grind to dust.
6 - 8 berries of dried apricots or prunes (can be equally divided).

Now you can make moonshine tincture on oak bark by mixing all the ingredients.

An important point - the jar should be topped up with moonshine to the very neck so that there is no free space and tightly closed. You can even roll up a metal lacquered lid.

Whiskey should have a lighter color than cognac, and a long infusion of moonshine on oak bark is not needed, ten to fifteen days are enough. When the drink has acquired a yellow (light brown) color, the process is over: we filter it and filter it.

Few people will understand if moonshine is aged on oak chips or has been in a barrel for a long time. The taste will acquire softness and notes strongly reminiscent of Scotch whiskey.

Everyone can buy real French cognac! But many people love good cognac. The point is not only in the complex and lengthy cooking process, but also in the elementary inconveniences that are associated with obtaining a homemade drink. Even if you are the ownermodern moonshine of a new generation , you simply may not have free space in your apartment to place an oak barrel.

The problem is solved quite simply if you have a pure distillate and a great desire to make cognac. It is necessary to insist the drink on oak bark, which you can buy at a pharmacy. But it is not so easy to find this product in modern outlets, and at a cost it is even higher than specialized ones. oak chips or chips for refining moonshine.

Homemade cognac is easy!

How do oak chips work? They imitate the aging of moonshine in a real barrel, namely, they repeat the process of soaking and firing a container made of valuable wood. Chips sold in, have high quality characteristics. They are able to endow the drink with a noble oak note, a unique aroma and astringency, which is so appreciated in real cognac!

Before proceeding with the production of a noble drink, it is necessary to choose a raw material or a base. There are no special restrictions here. Despite the fact that the original cognac is made from grape moonshine, you can also use fruit, grain and the simplest - sugar.

What is the color of the drink? This tree contains unique tannins that change color, aroma and taste. They are converted into an environmentally friendly dye under the influence of alcohol, namely ethyl alcohol. Both bark and oak wood are of equal value. Below we will give different recipes for homemade cognac to make it easier for you to choose the right one.

To achieve spectacular notes of vanilla, fruit, chocolate or flowers, you should infuse moonshine on chips for a different amount of time. There are recipes, with strict adherence to which you can get the expected result. Only if there is no time to wait for a long time, it is worth usingflavor additiveson a natural basis. They can be used alone or in combination with oak chips. So, concentrates will give alcohol aroma and taste, and wood - the necessary rich shade.

Moonshine recipe on oak bark
This method of ennoblement is attractive for its simplicity. It will take a minimum of effort and time to radically change the aroma and color of the distillate. As a result, you will get, of course, not cognac, but a drink with a mild taste that will resemble a noble product. For 3 liters of finished drink you will need:

Moonshine - 3 liters. It is advisable to take an already diluted product with a strength of about 45%.
Oak bark - 3 tbsp. l.
Allspice - 10 peas
Natural honey - 1 tbsp. l.
Carnation in buds - 5 pcs.
Oregano (dry grass) - 1 tbsp. l.
St. John's wort (dry) - 1 tbsp. l.
Vanillin - 1 gr. or on the tip of a knife

It is necessary to mix all the herbs and bark in a large container, it is advisable to choose glass that is neutral. At the next stage, everything is poured with moonshine and covered with a lid. Stir should be 1 time at the very beginning. Then the container will need to be shaken once every 4 days without opening. At room temperature, a distillate with such additives should be infused for about 15-16 days. After this period, the drink must be filtered. For this purpose, any home-made filter made of special paper or cotton-gauze pads is suitable. At the next stage, moonshine on oak bark is bottled and corked. In this form, it can be stored for a long time. To improve the taste, it is recommended to drink the drink 10-14 days after filtration.

Herbs are needed for softening. If you do not like some ingredients, you can exclude them, or even remove everything except moonshine, vanillin and oak bark. Even if you have access to oak, you should not harvest the bark yourself. Pharmaceutical products have already passed all the necessary cleaning and disinfection procedures, therefore they are the preferred option.

Recipe for moonshine on oak chips

qualityoak chipsare an inexpensive but effective way to get homemade cognac. Compared to bark, this product most accurately recreates a drink that is as close as possible in taste and aroma to cognac aged in real oak barrels. At the same time, there are some nuances. In this case, it takes longer to insist the distillate, and before cooking, it is also necessary to carefully prepare the chips. But the result is definitely worth it!

Oak chips preparation technology

At the first stage, excess tannins must be eliminated from them. To do this, the chips are soaked and then processed at elevated temperatures. It is necessary to take logs, remove the bark from them and chop them into poles, then into pegs. The optimal dimensions are: 10 cm in length and 2 cm in cross section. Cooked chips are soaked in cold water. It will be enough for 24 hours, during which the water should be changed three times.

After soaking, the chips are poured with a soda solution made from 5 liters of water and 1 tbsp. l. soda. Next, you need to leave the semi-finished products for 6 hours in this form. After that, the chips are thoroughly washed and placed in a large container. Water is added to it. All this must be boiled for about 50 minutes on the slowest fire. After that, well-washed wooden pegs are dried naturally for 1 day. The dry tree is laid out on a baking sheet and placed for 2 hours in the oven, heated to 150-160 ° C. As a result of this process, a characteristic brown color should appear. Toasted chips are stored in a dry, well-ventilated area. High humidity has a detrimental effect on oak chips. Gardeners often harvest cherry, apple or pear wood according to this recipe.

To whom the whole process seems too long and laborious, we offer an easier one - buy ready-made oak chips in the storeat an affordable price.

Infusion of oak chips in moonshine

This process is divided into 3 main steps:

Calculation of oak chips for a 3-liter jar

Everyone in the household has this container. And it is with such a small volume that it is worth starting experiments with oak chips. For a standard jar or bottle of the same capacity, 15cm bars are best suitedx 3 cm x 0.5 cm. As for the quantity, 9 pieces will be enough. It should be borne in mind that when using such a number of chips, the useful volume is reduced by 202.5 ml. Those. 2800 ml remains instead of 3000 ml. To get a decent aroma and color, you can take only 6 pieces, if necessary, increasing their number. So you can simultaneously infuse moonshine in four 3-liter jars and place 6,7,8,9 chips in them, respectively. So you can determine the exact number to get the drink that you like best in terms of flavor and aroma.

Grape brandy or chacha are best suited for making homemade cognac. Using such raw materials, you bring the taste, aroma and color of the drink as close as possible to those possessed by real French cognac. According to these recipes, it is best to age oak chips in moonshine for 6 months. But after 3 weeks, the drink softens significantly and acquires a specific taste, a dark shade. Therefore, if time is running out, or you are on the eve of a festive event, you can serve distillate on oak chips in 3-4 weeks. Do not be afraid to experiment, and you are guaranteed to find your own recipe for homemade fragrant cognac!