Contents
What do you ferment mash in?
Download Article Download Article Moonshine mash is a popular way to make an alcoholic beverage using a few basic ingredients. Start by mixing the cornmeal, sugar, water, and yeast together. Then, ferment the mash so it becomes alcoholic and distill it so it tastes great as a drink. You can then sip moonshine mash on its own or add it to cocktails or other drinks for a little kick.
- 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) ground cornmeal
- 10 pounds (4.5 kg) white granulated sugar
- 10 gallons (38 l) of water (distilled if possible)
- 1 ⁄ 2 ounce (14 g) active dry yeast, preferably Turbo
- 1 to 2 cups (0.24 to 0.47 l) water
- 1-2 bags dried fruit (optional)
- 1 Boil 10 gallons (38 l) of water in a 20 gallons (76 l) stainless steel pot. Allow the water to reach boiling temperature, with large bubbles on the surface of the water.
- Use a pot that has been sterilized and cleaned. Do not use a pot that appears dirty or stained.
- 2 Stir in 2.5 pounds (1.1 kg) of cornmeal and boil for 5-7 minutes. Once the water comes to a boil, pour in the cornmeal and use a wooden spoon to mix it in. Continue to stir it until it becomes thick. Advertisement
- 3 Reduce the heat to 150 °F (66 °C). Turn down the heat so the cornmeal stays warm but is no longer boiling. Use a thermometer in the cornmeal to ensure it stays at the right temperature.
- Cooling down the cornmeal will ensure it interacts properly with the yeast when it is added.
- 4 Add 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of sugar and 1 ⁄ 2 ounce (14 g) of yeast. Pour the sugar and yeast into the cornmeal. Use a wooden spoon to combine. Stir it for 5-10 minutes. The mixture should become soupy and thin.
- Remove the mash from the heat once the sugar and yeast have been mixed in.
- 5 Put in dried fruit mash if you’d like more flavor. If you’d like to give the mash a more fruity flavor, soak 1-2 bags of dried fruit in 1 to 2 cups (0.24 to 0.47 l) of water. Then, mash the dried fruit up in the water so it becomes more of a juice. Pour the dried fruit mash into the cornmeal mixture and mix it in with a spoon.
- Try a fruit mash with bananas, apricots, and pineapple to add flavor. A dried fruit mash with blue berries, cherries, and strawberries can also give the mixture a nice fruity taste.
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- 1 Cover the mash and place it in a cool, dark place. You can leave the mash in the pot and place a lid on it or lay a cloth over it. Put the mash in a basement, cellar, or in the back of a closet so it can ferment. The temperature of 60 °F (16 °C) or lower is ideal.
- You can also pour the mash in an empty cooler and put the lid on it so it can ferment.
- 2 Allow it to ferment for 4-5 days. Moonshine mash made with Turbo yeast will ferment within 4-5 days. If you use bread yeast, it may take up to 1 week for the mash to ferment.
- 3 Check the mash for large bubbles on the surface. After 4-5 days, check the mash to see if there are large bubbles that are moving very slowly or sitting on the surface. This is usually a sign the mash is ready to be distilled.
- If the mash still has a lot of smaller bubbles on the surface, it may not be ready to distill and need more time to ferment.
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- 1 Distill the mash in a copper still if you have one available. Rent a copper still from your local brewing supply store or buy one. Look for a copper still made for homebrewing, as they will be smaller and more compact. Then, pour the mash in the still and distill it, following the directions attached to the copper still.
- You may want to invest in a copper still if you plan to make moonshine mash, and other home alcoholic beverages, often.
- A 13 gallons (49 l) copper still can range in price from $900-$1,300 USD.
- 2 Use a pressure cooker and a copper pipe as a makeshift still. Bring the mash to 173 °F (78 °C) in the pressure cooker. Attach a coiled copper pipe to the vent of the pressure cooker with electrical tape. Run the copper coil through a bucket of cold water and put the end in a clean container.
- This is a homemade approach to a copper still, so you may need to monitor it to ensure it works correctly. Check that the mash stays at a constant temperature so it can condense into moonshine.
- 3 Allow the mash to cool. Once you have distilled the mash, let it come to room temperature. The mash should look like a clear liquid with impurities still floating in it.
- 4 Filter the mash using cheesecloth and a strainer. Place a large plastic strainer over a large soup pot. Then, drape the cheesecloth over the strainer. Put a smaller strainer over the cheesecloth, holding it over the cheesecloth with your non-dominant hand.
- You can then squeeze the cheesecloth to remove any smaller impurities from the mash. The cheesecloth should get rid of the stuff sitting on the surface of the mash, or the head, so the mash runs clear.
- Repeat this process until you have strained out all the mash. It should appear clear and clean in the soup pot.
- Throw away the impurities once you have strained them out of the mash.
- 5 Store the moonshine mash in airtight glass jars. Make sure the glass jars are sterile and clean. Keep them in a cool, dark place, sealed tight. You can then sip moonshine mash on its own or add it to cocktails and other drinks.
- Moonshine mash should last for at least 6 months-1 year, if stored properly.
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Add New Question
- Question How can I add flavor to my moonshine mash? You can buy flavoring or put sliced fruit, like peaches and apples, inside the bottle for a month or two.
- Question Should I stir the corn mash before distilling to make the mash work more if there is still starch? Yes, as results tend to be better when you stir it before distilling, to make the mash work.
- Question Do I strain the mash before putting it into the boiler? Yes indeed. If you allow any solids in your wash, they will settle to the bottom of your cooking pot and burn. If you’ve ever had a few pinto beans burn in the pot, you’ll know what kind of taste you’ll have in your liquor.
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- Producing mash for alcoholic spirits or moonshine, either for private consumption or sale, is illegal in the United States and many other countries without proper licensing and permits.
- Making moonshine with a home still can put you at risk of bacterial contamination and alcohol poisoning. Proceed at your own risk.
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- 20 gallons (76 l) stainless steel pot
- Stove top or outdoor stove
- Liquid thermometer
- Long-handled wooden or metal spoon
- A pressure cooker
- A coiled copper pipe
- Electrical tape
- A copper still
Article Summary X To make moonshine mash, boil water in a 20 gallon pot. Add cornmeal and boil for 5-7 minutes. Then, reduce the heat and add sugar and yeast. Stir the mixture for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes soupy, and remove it from the heat. If you want to add more flavor, mash dried fruit in water until it becomes more of a juice and add it to the mash.
What is the best yeast for moonshine mash?
Distiller’s Yeast: – Distiller’s yeast is a great option for those who want great results with minimal effort. All of the nutrients are already in place to get the best results for your moonshine mash every time. It’s a simple solution for great flavor and reliable results. Plus, its highly-concentrated composition reduces time and effort for fast and easy distilling.
What do you make moonshine out of?
What Really Is Moonshine? – Moonshine is a distilled alcohol made from any grain or fruit, depending on what is accessible to you. The classic uses corn as the fermentable sugar. While you can always use some other alcohol like Everclear from your drinks, where’s the fun in that?
Will mash ferment without yeast?
The Role of Yeast in a Moonshine Mash – Yeast plays an important role in the production of moonshine. In fact, you could say yeast is the star of the fermentation stage of moonshining. This is because yeast is what actually turns the fermentable sugars in your into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
What is a substitute for distillers yeast?
Distillers Yeast vs. Bakers Yeast vs. Brewers Yeast: How to Choose – Just like all things craft, there’s more than one way to make a high-quality product. Distillers yeast isn’t the only kind of yeast out there, and different types of yeast offer different characteristics that you may want to take advantage of. Brewers yeast, or wine yeast, tends to add more flavor vs. distillers yeast, and this makes a lot of sense. Beer and wine are enjoyed without the extra separation steps that distilled spirits go through, so the yeast used needs to be able to make a good quality product without adding anything unwanted to the system. Bakers yeast is somewhat similar in that it is selected to provide flavor and not for surviving with higher ABV or fast conversion of alcohol. This means that comparing distillers yeast vs. bakers yeast (or any other kind of yeast) can present the distiller with a tough choice. The yeast selected for the flavor it adds generally doesn’t create as high an ABV, but the higher ABV yeasts can be very neutral or even off-putting in flavor. Ultimately, it’s up to the artist to select a color scheme and the distiller to select a preferred variety of yeast. There are pluses and minuses to each type of yeast, so the best yeast for distilling is really the one that works the best for you and your process. Distillers yeast may be perfect for a neutral spirit like vodka, while other kinds of yeast may be better for brandy or whiskey, Whether you prefer distillers yeast vs. bakers yeast or any other variety, making the spirit that you want to make means doing your research and knowing the right conditions and nutrition needed to get the most out of your ferment. That will help you make the best possible product. > Need help choosing the right equipment for your distillery? Contact the team at StillDragon today,
How do you ferment laying mash?
How To Ferment Chicken Feed? – Fermenting feed for chicken feed is relatively straightforward. To ferment feed, simply place some in a container and cover with clean, fresh water until the feed is fully underwater. Cover the container and allow the formula to rest for three days. After three days, strain out the liquid and feed the fermented feed to your chickens. Browse Our Chicken Feed
What yeast for making mash?
– When your selecting a yeast for your mash there are several factors that are important to consider including: Final alcohol content expected in mash, Ferment temperature and the product you are fermenting weather it be sugar, grain or fruit. By selecting the proper yeast you will ensure you get a complete fermentation and a great tasting final product.
Ale Yeast – Danstar Nottingham ferments well between 57 F to 70 F. This strain is great when your making wash at lower temperatures such as in your basement or in the winter time. I’ve had some fantastic results when making my whiskey mash recipe, The alcohol tolerance of most Ale Yeast’s are between 8% – 10% Wine Yeast – Lavlin EC-1118 is available in most home brew shops and is typically used to ferment wines but works great for sugar shines with high starting ABV. It ferments well between 50 F and 86F and has a high alcohol tolerance of 18%, EC – 1118 is also great to use when making a fruit wash. Turbo Yeast – I’ve used a number of different Turbo Yeast in the past and have had good results. The nice thing about Turbo Yeast is that it ferments faster then other strains and has a very high alcohol tolerance generally between 20 -23%. I’d suggest only use half the nutrients included in the package. If your making a whiskey or rum Turbo Yeast isn’t the best choice. I’d only recommend using Turbo Yeast for vodka because during distillation you strip all the flavor out of your product. Generic Distillers Yeast – Generic distillers yeasts such as Super Start will give you good results and when you compare the cost it’s a no brainier. You can buy this stuff by the pound at your local brew shop. The Best Yeasts For Distilling, Bread Yeast – If your making a rum or corn whiskey mash recipe Bread yeast is one of the best yeast for the job. Not to mention it’s easy to get your hands on. Just head down to your local grocery store to pick some up. Bread yeast will leave a great flavor in your final product. To learn more about using Bread yeast in Rum, Whiskey, Bourbon or Moonshine Mash recipes read our article Bourbon, Whiskey, Vodka and Moonshine – How Much Yeast ?. Yeast Nutrients – You can find these at any home brew shop or online, As mentioned earlier Nutrients give yeast the food to multiply and speed up fermentation they also keep the Yeast healthy. Nutrients are often not required with grain and fruit recipes because there are already significant nutrients present in the Mash. They are generally required in high gravity sugar washes because of the lack of nutrients white sugar recipes. Keep in mind that to much nutrients may contribute to off flavors in your final product. To determine how much sugar to add to a sugar wash when making moonshine Read our Easy Sugar Wash Recipe – For making Moonshine
What is the mash in ethanol fermentation?
Dry Mill Ethanol Process – In dry milling, the entire grain kernel is first ground into “meal,” then slurried with water to form a “mash.” Enzymes are added to the mash to convert starch to sugar. The mash is cooked, then cooled and transferred to fermenters.
- Yeast is added and the conversion of sugar to alcohol begins.
- After fermentation, the resulting “beer” is separated from the remaining “stillage.” The ethanol is then distilled and dehydrated, then blended with about 2% denaturant (such as gasoline) to render it undrinkable.
- It is then ready for shipment.
The stillage is sent through a centrifuge that separates the solids from the solubles. These co-products eventually become distillers grains, as well as corn distillers oil. For more information on co-products and current production, visit our co-products page,
What is a fermenting bucket?
Home Brew Buckets Fermenting bins, also known as fermenting buckets, are an essential tool for homebrewers to ferment their beer, wine or cider. All our brewing buckets provide an airtight seal and are made from food-grade P.E.T. which is free from cracks and scratches. As long as you follow proper sanitation practices brewing beer in a bucket is one of the most cost-effective methods.