What to make natural yeast for alcohol from. What is alcohol yeast and why is it better for a moonshiner? Types, composition, preparation at home

Yeast in moonshine brewing is the most important ingredient, on which not only the time and intensity of wort fermentation, but also the taste of the finished product depends. Today, thanks to an increase in interest in household distillation and a large assortment of moonshine stills, a special variety of yeast - alcohol or wine - has appeared on the shelves. This is a special strain that provides many advantages over baking strains. Our article will tell you which yeast to choose for moonshine and how to prepare it yourself using baker’s yeast.

Varieties of Yeast Strains

Yeast is a colony of single-celled microorganisms (fungi) that uses organic compounds to produce energy. A special strain of yeast - alcoholic - is facultative, that is, it does not require oxygen dissolved in the medium for development and respiration, but vital activity is accompanied by the release of alcohols. Due to the high concentration of glucose, rapid growth of yeast cells occurs (Pasteur effect) and its subsequent fermentation (Crabtree effect).

For moonshine brewing, you need a strain that produces a large amount of secondary metabolism products:

fusel oils;
ethers;
acetoin;
ethereal and acetaldehyde,
isoamyl alcohol, etc.

These are the same harmful impurities in moonshine, without which a real high-quality product cannot be obtained. The combination of ethyl and other alcohols with esters and fusel oils provides unique organoleptic properties of the alcoholic drink.

The following types are distinguished:

Bakery

Used in the food industry and cooking for pastries and baked goods.

For home brewing, the baking variety is the worst option, in which part of the crop in the mash dies within the first 5 days.

Wine

A unique strain used only in the preparation of elite wines. It is practically not used in domestic distilling due to the high price and extremely limited range on Russian shelves.

Beer houses

Used in the food and culinary industries. They are a rich source of minerals and vitamins. Used in industrial and domestic brewing. The mash for moonshine made from such yeast will not be of sufficient quality.

Alcohol

Designed specifically for alcohol (with their help, medical alcohol is also obtained). A special strain whose vital activity is accompanied by the most complete set of metabolic products.

VIDEO: Moonshine brewing for beginners - how to choose yeast

Price of moonshine yeast

Today, yeast for home brewing can be purchased in specialized or online stores. The cost depends on the brand and fermentation speed, on average 100 g. will cost 130-400 rubles.

Bragman Turbo - 100 gr. designed for 8 kg of sugar and ferments within 3 days to 18%. Cost 380 rub.;
Intoxicants - 1 pack dissolves in 22 liters of water and 6 kg of sugar. Price - 130 rubles;
Extra (Lviv) - 180 rub. per 100 grams;
Ukrainian (Krivoy Rog) dry yeast for moonshine - 150 rubles. per pack 100 gr. for a standard recipe.
Finnish - from 280 rub. on same conditions.

Some experts advise buying alcoholic yeast for moonshine for future use, especially in Belarus, where there are interruptions in the supply of such goods. Fortunately, we don’t have such problems, the assortment is more than extensive, so there is no point in a strategic reserve.

The expiration date is very critical - even a few days expired product will no longer give the expected result. The fermentation process will start, but will not proceed as actively as it should.

What is the difference between alcohol strains and all other strains?

It is clear that alcohol ones are intended for alcohol, in our case moonshine. But how exactly do they differ from the more familiar bakery ones?

The fermentation period is 2-3 times shorter. If you have to spend about 12 days on regular ones, then alcohol fermentations take up to 6 days.
Facultative anaerobes live in conditions of high alcohol concentration - more than 18%, while bakers in such an environment lose most of the crop. Taking this into account, the yield of moonshine is much greater.
Almost no foam. On the one hand, this is an indicator of quality - the less foam, the more active the metabolism; on the other hand, no defoamer is needed.

The organoleptic properties are better - even at the stage of preparing the mash, the aroma of bread is felt, there are no unpleasant odors and they are more fermenting than any other analogue.

The use of any type of yeast requires the user to comply with certain conditions - the creation of a nutrient medium and temperature conditions. Alcohol yeast in this regard is not much different from its analogues. Still, here are some recommendations regarding their use.

The fermentation temperature should not fall below 22°C and rise above 28°C. In winter, a container with mash is usually placed near the battery, but in summer the task becomes more complicated. We advise you to buy an inexpensive aquarium heater and use it to constantly maintain the desired temperature.
The bottle should not be exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise the mash will not ferment. But it will simply turn sour with all the ensuing consequences.
You cannot close the lid hermetically - there must be an outlet for carbon dioxide. Provide a water seal or do it the old fashioned way - cover it with a glove with several small holes punched in it.
Never use boiled water for mash - it does not contain dissolved air, which is necessary for all strains, including facultative ones. Artesian or spring water is best suited. Acceptable - purified or settled water supply.

The requirement of alcohol yeast for high-quality water is very high. Even small amounts of impurities can disrupt your metabolism.

The mash is carefully mixed daily so that the largest possible amount of organic matter is involved in the fermentation process.
To prepare, first make a starter - dissolve the powder or break it into small pieces pressed in a small amount of warm (22-24°C) water with added sugar. After fermentation begins, the starter is mixed with the rest of the heated water and sugar.

How to prepare yeast for moonshine

There are different situations and at a certain point in time the required ingredient may not be at hand. This is not a reason to use baker’s yeast for moonshine or even to postpone making moonshine until later. We suggest you make them yourself.

Rye

Ingredients:

hops - 400 gr.;
water - 6 liters;
rye malt - 4 tbsp.;
premium wheat flour - 4 tbsp;
baker's yeast - 1 tbsp.

How to cook:

Pour hops into cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 3-3.5 hours under a closed lid, stirring occasionally so that the hops do not burn.
Cool in a bowl of cold water to 35°C and add flour, malt and yeast. Stir with a wooden stick until completely dissolved, cover with a lid and wrap in a blanket or cover with pillows on all sides. It is necessary to maintain the temperature during the day. After this, the mass is put into 200 ml jars for later use.

Do not use a mixer for mixing.

Fresh ingredients are used for cooking. Pharmacy drugs are good, but only a live product will give the expected result

On beer

Ingredients:

dark beer - 250 ml;
sugar - 1 tbsp;
wheat flour - 1 tbsp.;
water 26°C - 1 tbsp.

How to cook:

Stir flour in water and leave in a warm place for 5-6 hours.
Add sugar and beer and return to heat for 12 hours. Can be used immediately after preparation.

On rye bread

Ingredients:

rye bread - 0.5 kg;
water 26°C - 2 tbsp.;
raisins - 100 gr.;
granulated sugar - 3 tbsp;
flour.

How to cook:

Break the bread into small pieces and add water.
Stir until smooth, add raisins and sugar. Wrap up and send for a day in a warm, dark place.
After this time, the mass is filtered through cheesecloth, and the remaining bread is squeezed out well. This is the basis for the dough.
Mix flour into the liquid to make it like pancake batter. After an hour you can already use it for mash.

As you can see, there is nothing difficult about making moonshine yeast yourself. Of course, in the first stages, we advise you to buy alcoholic yeast for moonshine in order to be sure of the result. Well, in the future, nothing prevents you from experimenting with new tastes.

VIDEO: Yeast test for moonshine

In households, different types of yeast are used to prepare mash - alcohol, beer, ordinary baker's and wine. Each type of such product is characterized by special qualities and properties, it is worth familiarizing yourself with them in more detail. The article describes the characteristics of each type, this will help you make the most informed choice.

Use of baker's yeast

High-quality baker's yeast is used almost everywhere in home brewing. The product is widely used for the quick and effective fermentation of wort based on sugar, grain, grapes and other berries.

Advantages of this type of yeast:

Affordable price;
You can buy it at any supermarket;
Comfort during use;
Possibility to store for quite a long time.

To prepare moonshine, you will need to take pressed, that is, raw yeast of the baking category, add 100 grams per kilogram of sugar to the wort. The remaining yeast should be stored in the freezer, so it will not lose its qualities.

Baker's yeast for moonshine is sold in the form of a powder made from small granules. The product is packaged in sealed packages ranging from 7 to 100 grams. This form of yeast is consumed at the rate of 15-20 grams per kilogram of sugar.

Important! If you need to quickly ferment sugar for moonshine, you should purchase special turbo yeast. Essentially, it is a mixture of active and dry yeast, to which various nutritional supplements have been added.

Alcoholic yeast for moonshine

Special alcoholic yeast for moonshine is becoming increasingly popular at the moment. Many home craftsmen decide to add a product that is produced by Russian and foreign companies. These are special bred races that are indispensable in the process of producing alcoholic beverages, to which they must be added in the right quantity. Unlike baker's yeast, alcohol yeast is characterized by a higher strength. Moonshine with them should be quite strong - up to 17 degrees.

Benefits of alcohol yeast:

Minimum level of foaming.
A weaker and more pleasant smell of mash.
Homemade moonshine ferments much faster.

The consumption of this yeast for moonshine is quite economical. As the instructions note, approximately 2.5 grams of product should be added to a 10-liter container of wort.

Brewer's yeast

The use of such yeast for making moonshine mash at home is not recommended. Yeast produces a very low percentage of alcohol and contributes to the formation of a large amount of mash foam. This fact is confirmed by users who left reviews about the product.

Wine yeast for moonshine

If you need a starter for moonshine, the quality of which is higher, you should use special wine yeast. This is a special population of yeast that is found on the bushes and fruits of grapes. This type of yeast is a unique product that is used to make homemade wine or to produce mash and moonshine. Wort can be made from different raw materials. This could be a kilogram of grapes, berries or various fruits. The peculiarity of such yeast is based on the spontaneity of the fermentation produced. This feature allows you to get a variety of flavors of moonshine. It is wine yeast, the amount of which can vary, that is used to prepare a wide variety of wines.

Important! When using such yeast, you must carefully monitor the purification of the product. Neglecting this rule can lead to foreign microflora getting into the future drink.

The process of obtaining pure wine yeast is carried out in a special microbiological production facility. This is a special place where the method of reproduction of offspring from a single cell is used. This way you can get a product completely free of various impurities. Moonshine made from it will be characterized by unique quality.

Benefits of wine yeast:

Alcohol resistance;
Heat resistance;
Cold resistance.

Very often, yeast is used in the process of moonshine brewing, which is based on grapes, as well as for the production of cognac or chacha.

Important! There is no need to select wine yeast to produce sugar moonshine. If a product of 17 degrees strength is formed, then the yeast will not absorb sugar very actively and the fermentation process may stop.

Regardless of what product will be used for moonshine - baking, wine, or where the base is alcohol, it is important, after adding, to ensure that the product is provided with optimal fermentation conditions. Otherwise, preparing the mash and the drink itself will not work.

Conditions for yeast to live

If you simply throw one kilogram of sugar and selected yeast into a container, mix and seal tightly for two weeks, the process may not even start. Repeating this process several times will not help either. To prepare a quality drink, it is important to follow the rules of life and reproduction of yeast.

Rules for storing and using yeast:

Activation begins if the temperature is 22-28 degrees. Such a warm mode should be maintained throughout the entire cooking time, that is, more than one hour. The complete cessation of fermentation will be indicated by a sharp alcoholic smell that appears immediately after opening the lid.
It is worth making the right choice of container. It is desirable that it be made of copper, glass, steel and stainless steel. The most correct option is to use glass containers, since all others give a certain oxide, the wine drink acquires an unpleasant taste.
The correct recipe for preparing alcohol involves using clean water. It should not be chlorinated, salted, hard, carbonated or distilled. Even if the taste of the water is quite normal, it is not a fact that the moonshine will be prepared correctly. Braga turns out well if it was prepared using well or spring water. However, it must be used on the day of collection.
If the body of the fermentation container allows light to pass through, then it should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Otherwise, fermentation will be disrupted. To prevent this, the container must be covered very well with a cloth.
It is equally important to install a high-quality water seal to remove carbon dioxide and prevent air from entering the container with moonshine.

To make a high-quality product, the yeast drink must be thoroughly mixed. This should be done as carefully as possible, slowly, but reaching the bottom with a spoon.

Ideal nutrition for yeast

It is impossible to make a good product without providing special conditions for the yeast population in the drink. A high fermentation rate can be achieved by providing the following components.

Yeast feed:

Salts of phosphorus and ammonia.
Microelements are needed all the time.
B vitamins help a lot.

To ensure that the result is a large yield of moonshine with ideal taste, it is worth using a type of fertilizing such as mineral fertilizers. Components such as ammonium sulfate, urea, ammophosphate, superphosphate and saltpeter have a good effect on the drink. Components such as magnesium, iron, zinc, boron and manganese have an equally good effect on fermentation. These components are present in sufficient quantities in ordinary tap water.

Supplements, which contain various vitamins and microelements, are produced strictly in industrial conditions. One of the most popular options for high-quality nutrition is a preparation made on the basis of dried shells of previously used brewer's yeast. No less effective are recipes made from various means at hand. These could be products such as:

What to make the dressing from:

Rye flour, brewed with boiling water;
The peas are very well boiled;
Ground green malt;
Raisins or dry grapes;
Regular rye bread;
Nettle leaves.

To get the maximum effect, you should follow a few secrets. If a large amount of foam forms, it can be quickly and easily extinguished by crumbling cookies over the surface of the drink. Just two pieces of regular store-bought cookies are enough. If a Saf-Levure brand product was used, a small Saf-Moment sachet can be used to reduce a large amount of foam. All opened packages should always be stored in the refrigerator. You can use regular homemade raisins, so there will be a minimal amount of chemicals on them, unlike store-bought ones.

DIY yeast

Yeast can be bought ready-made, or you can make it yourself. There are quite a lot of recipes for preparing the product.

Popular recipes:

Potato. The product in the amount of two pieces must be grated. Everything is mixed with one tablespoon of sugar and aged for 12 hours. They must be used immediately and cannot be stored;
Hops based. A glass of dry product - hop cones - needs to be filled with two glasses of water. The composition must be boiled until the volume of the product is reduced by half. You need to add a spoonful of sugar and three tablespoons of flour to the solution. Everything is thoroughly mixed and covered with a cloth until the product is aged for 2-3 days. After this, the composition is poured into ordinary glass containers and placed in the refrigerator;
From malt. Three glasses of ground malt should be boiled for an hour in five glasses of water. After this you need to add a glass of flour and half a glass of sugar. The composition is aged in tightly closed bottles in a warm place for at least two days. Then everything is put away in a cool place;
Berry. You will need to take a glass of unwashed raspberries, half a glass of unwashed rose hips, half a glass of sugar and a glass of water. All components must be combined and allowed to ferment in a warm place. In about three days the wort will be ready;
Grape. You will need to take a liter of unwashed berries, knead everything thoroughly with your hands and then add three tablespoons of sugar and one glass of water. The mixture should be allowed to ferment at a temperature of 20-22 degrees. The composition must be constantly stirred to prevent the formation of mold. It is advisable to store the composition in the refrigerator for 10 days, no more.

The consumption of homemade yeast for homemade moonshine needs to be slightly increased. The percentage should be 1 liter per 5 liters of wort.

Video about choosing yeast for mash.

Yeast, regardless of type, is the most important component of the fermentation process. This is a product that fills the drink with useful components, and not only starts the fermentation process. It is for this reason that it is so important to approach the choice of product as competently as possible. If you are making your own yeast, it is very important to carefully follow the basic manufacturing instructions.

Having high-quality yeast in your arsenal, you can proceed to the production of mash. very diverse, you can surprise your friends and make moonshine with banana flavor. Also by following the link you will find recipes: watermelon, grape, orange mash.

Dry hops are poured with double the amount of water and boiled until the amount of liquid is reduced by half.

The warm broth is filtered and one tablespoon of sugar, half a glass of malt or flour and one teaspoon of yeast are added to each glass, stirred and placed in a warm place. The mass is periodically poured through a sieve to saturate it with air, since yeast reproduces only if there is a sufficient amount of air.

After 2 days, the yeast is bottled and stored in a cool place. To obtain yeast fermentation, air is supplied to the wort that has just begun to ferment using an aquarium compressor or other means.

Alcoholic fermentation stops, and the yeast mass begins to increase due to the sugars in the wort.

A day later the wiring is ready.

Wheat seeds – 1800 g, hops – 120 g, dry yeast – 25 g.

1000 g of seedings are placed in a container, poured with boiling water so that the water covers the seedings and a thick porridge is formed.

Beat the mixture for 2 minutes. and sprinkle the surface with seedings. Add boiling water to stir the seedings poured on top, beat again, and again sprinkle with the remaining seedings, then cover the container with a napkin.

Add boiling water a third time and stir gently until the mixture cools down. The liquid is drained and the seeds are squeezed out through a napkin. Add 120 g of hops to this liquid (hops are diluted with 250 g of boiling water), cover and allow to settle.

When the mass has cooled, add dry or old yeast and stir.

The resulting mass is poured into milk bottles, filling them no more than 2/3 of the volume, covered with a cotton swab and taken out for 5-6 hours in a warm place.

When the yeast rises, the bottles are closed with plastic caps and taken out into the cold.

Such yeast quickly turns sour, so they are renewed by adding dry or old yeast again.

Hops – 250 g, water (boiling water) – 2000 ml, barley malt – 500 g, honey – 120 g, dry or old yeast – 50 g.

Malt or hops are poured with boiling water, covered with a lid and boiled, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes.

The mass is filtered through a sieve, honey is added, brought to a boil, covered with a cloth and allowed to cool.

Add diluted yeast (125 g of liquid mass) to the cooled mass. After 2-3 fermentation begins and the mass rises.

When the middle begins to fall off, the yeast is ready.

Some of them can be used, but the rest must be put in the refrigerator and make sure that the mass does not freeze.

Water (boiling water) – 4000 ml, fresh hops – 500 g, salt – 40 g, sugar – 200 g, 1st grade wheat flour – 450 g, potatoes – 1400 g.

The hops are poured with boiling water and boiled for 30 minutes, stirring so that the hops are in the liquid during the boiling process.

The finished mass is filtered into a clay vessel coated with glaze on the inside. When it cools down to 38°C, add salt, sugar and flour.

To prevent lumps from forming, mix everything thoroughly, cover with a cloth and keep for 3 days in a warm place.

The potatoes are peeled, boiled until tender and rubbed through a sieve, and when they have cooled to a temperature of 30°C, mixed with the prepared mass and left for 24 hours.

The finished mass is filtered and poured into bottles, without adding 4 cm to the neck. Shake the contents of the bottle before use.

Such yeast can be stored in a cold place for 2 months.

Hops – 120 g, yellow honey – 40 g, water – 125 ml, flour – 50 g, old yeast (to speed up the process) – 15 g.

Hops, honey and water are mixed and boiled, then poured into a jar. When the mass has cooled, add flour and place in a warm place.

After 2 days the yeast will be ready.

If you add old yeast, the mixture will be ready in 24 hours.

Potatoes – 1000 g, flour – 300 g, brewer’s yeast – 50 g.

The potatoes are peeled, boiled and, after draining the water, rubbed through a sieve while still hot, after which flour and brewer's yeast are added.

After mixing, the mass is placed in a warm place for fermentation.

Ready yeast is placed in the cold.

Potatoes - 1300 g, baker's yeast - 150 g, port wine - 50 g.

The potatoes are boiled in their skins, then peeled and rubbed through a sieve, after which they are diluted with warm water to the consistency of sour cream, mixed with yeast, wine is added and placed in a warm place.

When the mass rises, it is mixed, poured into bottles, sealed and stored in a cold place.

Hops – 450 g, water – 6000 ml, flour – 800 g, rye malt – 800 g, baker’s yeast – 200 g.

Place the hops in a saucepan and add water, cover with a lid and cook for 3 hours over low heat.

When 50% of the mass has boiled away, add 1000 ml of water and bring to a boil, after which, when the mass has cooled to a temperature of 38°C, a liquid mass is prepared from hop water and flour.

Warm hop water is gradually added to the flour and mixed so that no lumps form in the mixture, then diluted yeast is added, mixed and placed in a warm place to ripen.

When the mass rises, it is mixed and bottled. Store in the refrigerator.

Dry yeast – 200 g, buckwheat flour – 450 g, wheat flour – 230 g.

Dry yeast is diluted with water, 50% of the norm of buckwheat and wheat flour is added and filled with water until the consistency of liquid sour cream.

When the dough rises, pour 500 ml of warm (35-40°C) water into it, add the rest of the flour, stir and place in a warm place for 12 hours.

During the first 9 hours, the mass is stirred every hour, then allowed to settle and the water is drained.

The thick mass that remains is transferred to a napkin, tied and hung to remove the remaining moisture.

Keep refrigerated.

When 200 g of the prepared ones remain after use, a new portion is prepared based on them.

It is necessary to ensure that the mass does not go rancid.

Sometimes it is necessary to propagate good or rare yeast, of which there are very few left. This is often done with alcohol and wine strains if there is no time to wait for the coveted bag to appear on sale or to be delivered from another region. But you can also dilute ordinary ones: dry or bakery pressed ones.

If you add less yeast than the amount recommended in recipes, fermentation will take much longer, and the taste of the finished drink may deteriorate due to the long time spent on the lees. In addition, when fermentation is too long, some yeast release harmful substances into the wort. Therefore, if there is little strain left, it is better to first dilute it separately in a nutrient medium and only then add it to the mash or wort.

In addition to sugar (acting as “food”), for rapid reproduction, yeast requires acids and microelements that accelerate biochemical processes. The most important substances: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. At home, the easiest way to create a suitable nutrient medium is from malt (sprouted grain) or potato tuber.

Since potatoes are more accessible than malt and do not require preliminary preparation, and the result is the same in both cases, we will next consider a technique based specifically on potatoes.

Ingredients for yeast propagation:

small raw potatoes - 2 pieces;

sugar – 1 heaped tablespoon;

salt - half a tablespoon;

warm water (maximum 30°C) – 250 ml;

yeast - how much is left (a quarter of a teaspoon or less).

To activate the starter for 3-4 liters of mash (juice):

warm water (40°C) – 100 ml;

sugar – 1 level tablespoon;

ready yeast - 2 tablespoons.

Yeast breeding technology.

1. Wash and peel raw potatoes. Grind on a fine grater.

2. Pour the resulting mass into a small saucepan. Add a heaping tablespoon of sugar and half a tablespoon of salt.

3. Pour in water. Mix until smooth.

4. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat (do not boil).

5. Cool the mixture to 25-30°C.

6. Pour the prepared nutrient medium into a jar, filling 50-70% of the volume so that there is free space left. Add the remaining cultured yeast. Mix.

7. Put a glove on the neck of the jar or place a water seal. Place the jar in a dark place at room temperature. After 6-12 hours, the yeast will activate and begin to develop - the glove will inflate or the water seal will begin to release gas, the nutrient medium will increase in volume.

8. Depending on the type and freshness of the yeast, fermentation will end in 24-72 hours: the glove will fall (the water seal will stop gurgling), and the foam will disappear from the surface. Pour the diluted yeast into a smaller container so that the mass takes up the entire volume and there is no contact with oxygen. Seal the starter hermetically and transfer it to the refrigerator. Shelf life – up to 3 weeks.

9. To activate the propagated yeast, remove the yeast from the refrigerator before adding it to the mash. In a separate container with 100 ml of water heated to 30°C, add 2 tablespoons of starter and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and put in a warm place for 4 hours, then add to the mash. The starter is enough for 3-4 liters of mash or juice.

10. The resulting yeast can be propagated several times using the above technology.

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2 methods:Growing yeast from bread starterGrowing brewer's yeast

Yeast is a single-celled organism vital to most bakers and brewers around the world due to its ability to convert sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. You can create your own bread starter with just flour, water and regular supervision. Cultivating brewer's yeast is more difficult due to the need for a sterile environment, but the process can be performed by experienced homebrewers. Any type of yeast can be stored in the refrigerator, allowing you to recreate the perfect bread or beer many times over.

If you want to know how to prepare yeast before baking, you need to look for how to activate yeast.

Method 1: Growing yeast from sourdough bread

Choose a large, clean jar. Ideally, use a glass jar of at least two liters in size; if the starter starts to grow too quickly, you will have to take it out little by little, as it may turn out that the jar is small. Containers made of plastic, earthenware, or a ceramic container can also be used, but glass is easy to clean and allows you to easily view the bread leaven. It is recommended to sterilize the jar if it is heat-resistant. Wash the jar in hot soapy water and rinse well.
Pour in 1/2 cup (120 ml) dechlorinated water.
If your tap water contains chlorine, you can use dechlorinating tablets to purify the water, or let it sit for 24 hours. The minerals found in hard water can help yeast thrive, so using distilled water is not recommended.
- If you do not have water with ideal characteristics, use any water that is safe for consumption.
Stir in 3/4 cup (180ml) flour.
Use unbleached flour and you can use a sourdough starter for white bread, for dark bread use whole wheat flour. Flour contains wild yeast, microorganisms that produce carbon dioxide and other substances that help bread grow and give it flavor.
- Mix vigorously, saturating the mixture with air.
- You can also use many other types of sourdough flour, including brown rice flour and spelled flour.
Add organic, unwashed grapes (optional).
If you use white flour instead of whole wheat flour, your starter may not eat certain types of yeast that produce a strong flavor. .

You can try to remedy this by adding some fruit, most commonly adding a handful of grapes to the mix. Use organic grapes that have been grown without the use of pesticides or waxes and add them to the mixture.
- Grapes also contain yeast, which grows well in sourdough bread. Some bakers recommend this step, but what impact it has is another question.
Cover, but loosely. Do not use an airtight lid, as successful fermentation will produce gas and may break the lid, and the ferment may need additional air. Instead, cover the jar with cheesecloth, a paper towel, or a clean napkin, or use any lid, but do not seal it tightly.
Leave in a warm place for two days.
For best yeast activity, keep the starter in a warm room, at least 21ºC. After two days, the mixture should become foamy and have a specific smell. Some starters take longer to start growing, but don't worry if you don't notice any changes.
- If your house is cold, grow the yeast near the heater, but not too close to it, as it will get too hot and bake. Yeast grows in warm environments but dies when it is too hot.
Add 1/2 cup (120ml) water and 3/4 cup (180ml) flour. Mix the water and flour gradually, in small batches, until thoroughly combined. Cover and leave for 24 hours, during which time the yeast will feed on this fertilizer.
Replace part of the starter every day with new water and flour.
Each day, remove some of the starter, leaving 1/2 cup (120 ml) in the jar. This starter is not effective or safe to use in recipes, discard this part. Add enough water and flour to replace it, the exact amount is not necessary, you can use 3 parts flour and 2 parts water.

Don't try to add more than three times what's left in the jar.
Follow this process.
First, the starter may release a yellowish liquid at the top, or smell like alcohol. Luckily this should go away within a week as the yeast grows and starts to smell like bread. Once the yeast has established itself, the mixture should consistently double in size between each feeding. Continue feeding for a week while the starter grows to give the microorganisms a chance to compete with other bacteria. Some starters may not be ready for a month or more.
- If the mixture produces a dark brown liquid, this is a sign that it is being excreted from the food. Drain the liquid and feed more often, or larger volumes of flour and water.
Move to the refrigerator and feed less often.
When the mixture has doubled in size every day for three days and does not produce any unpleasant (non-bready) aromas or release liquid, cover it tightly and place it in the refrigerator. The yeast will stop or slow down and will need to be fed once a week with flour and water, discarding some if necessary to avoid overflowing. As long as you remember to feed your starter, it can be stored indefinitely, serving as bread yeast for months or even years.
- A brown rice flour starter needs to be fed every few days, even in the refrigerator.
Use in bread recipes.
Before using a portion of the starter, activate it by keeping it at room temperature in napkins or a towel and feed it at least 3 times at intervals of 8-12 hours. Knead the dough thoroughly until the gluten is activated, which will hold the dough together and it will roll out fairly thin. Homemade yeast tends to act more slowly than store-bought yeast, allowing the dough to rise from 4 to 12 hours, or even a day for more sour bread.
- Make sure you don't overheat the bread dough, as this may kill the yeast. Check the temperature of the dough if you mix it with a mixer with heat.
- You will also burn adding another flour starter, but be aware that this will add a strong flavor to the starter. Many people prepare pancakes with sourdough, which is selected during the feeding process.

Method 2 Growing brewer's yeast

Start with high quality brewer's yeast.
You can use store-bought liquid brewer's yeast, but the growing process is usually very difficult and time-consuming if you start growing it from available supplies. Typically, homebrewers grow brewer's yeast from beer lees from a successful or favorite beer or from expensive beers for repeated use.
- Growing your own yeast can take a lot of time and effort. This method doesn't require you to brew the beer at home, just keep the yeast growing.
- It should be noted that yeast from bottled beer lees is different from brewer's yeast in its initial fermentation, so the results may not be what you expect.
Work in a clean area.
Air pollution can destroy yeast cultures and bacteria. Avoid damp areas and places where you cook food. Close the windows in your yeast growing room and work in warm weather.
- Always wash your hands with antibacterial soap before handling yeast.
Clean and disinfect the surface. Wash your work surface or table as thoroughly as possible. Remove as many microorganisms as possible with detergents that contain alcohols. Let dry.
Purchase of equipment.
The easiest way to purchase the necessary equipment is to purchase a beer kit that can produce yeast starter. If you are purchasing equipment in parts, check what is included with that equipment in the What you'll need section. Look in pharmacies or laboratory equipment stores, in classifieds or online.
- Ordering laboratory equipment in the United States may be subject to government review.
- Agar powder is available in many Asian stores. If you can't find it, use unflavored gelatin, but know that gelatin-based starters need to be kept cool to avoid melting.
Sterilize suitable containers.
Heat fireproof containers and lids in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes to kill all sources of contamination. Small deep plates and glass containers are often used. Starter jars are often included in a brewing kit.
- If you don't have a pressure cooker, immerse containers in water and boil for 30 minutes. However, this is not as effective at killing all contaminant sources that would likely affect the growth of the yeast cultures and cause the starter to fail to grow or become moldy.
- If you have sterile plastic bags to store the containers in, you can do everything in advance.
Let the containers cool, then apply heat to them. Because sterilization is very important for brewer's yeast culture, so that other microorganisms can affect the cultivation. Use a propane torch or other high-heat tool, a portable flame source (not a regular lighter), and apply heat to the edges of the container.
Use soft or distilled water.
If the tap water in your area is “heavy”, meaning it contains large amounts of chalk and carbonate minerals, this can cause large amounts of bacteria to grow in the yeast. Use distilled water to be safe, or test the water's pH level using only water that reads 5.3 or close to it.
Boil 1 cup (240ml) moda and 1/4 cup dried malt extract.
Heat water in a pressure cooker to avoid boiling over, or use an airtight pan. Add dried malt extract and mix until dissolved. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, keeping a close eye on the stove to ensure the mixture does not boil over.
- This is called a "wort starter."
Turn off heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) agar powder until dissolved.
The starter already contains yeast cultures and nutrients, but the resulting agar powder thickens the mixture and provides a base for the yeast to grow. It is worth noting that thickening will not occur at this stage.
- Use plain gelatin only if you can't find agar powder; after making the mixture, the gelatin may melt in a warm room.
Bring to a boil again. Boil for 15 minutes. Again, be careful not to let it boil over.
Remove from heat. Leave the mixture to cool to 50ºC or similar, or colder if using gelatin instead of agar. The mixture should thicken but not harden completely.
Fill each container with a small layer of the mixture. Take your sterile containers and fill each with a small amount of the boiled starter mixture. Deep bowls should be filled 1/4 full, larger bowls should be filled no less.
Cover the containers and wait. Place lids on containers or wrap in plastic wrap. Let them cool for half an hour and watch the starter harden due to the agar powder. Once you have tilted the container and the starter has not spread, it is ready.
Sterilize the inoculation loop.
An inoculation loop, available at laboratory supply stores, is a miniature wire loop on the end of a stick used to transfer microorganisms such as yeast. Sterilize the end of the loop by heating it in a flame until the entire loop turns orange or red from the heat. .

Cool the loop to room temperature or slightly warmer by placing it in a shallow bowl of isopropyl alcohol, or by wiping it with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.
- If you don't cool the loop, the heat can kill the yeast.
- By cooling it in water or air, you give it a chance to get microorganisms that can be killed with alcohol.
Lightly outline with yeast sediment.
Don't try to put in a visible amount of yeast. All you have to do is lightly dip the loop on top of the liquid.
Gently add the yeast to the surface of the starter.
Leave the lid on just long enough for the loop to sink into one of your starters. This will transfer the yeast to a bacteria-free starter. To minimize the chance of contamination, reapply the lid immediately. Invert your containers or special containers to the 3/4 seal position.
- The process of adding microorganisms to a plate is called “plating” in microbiology.
Repeat sterilization before adding yeast for each container. Use the same process to add yeast to each container, but remember to warm the inoculation loop, sterilize between each transfer, then cool it in alcohol. Yeast grown at home has a relatively high chance of contamination, so using several separate cultures increases the likelihood that some of your starters will eventually be usable
Check the yeast over the next few days.
Store containers at 21-26ºC, the ideal temperature range for active yeast growth. Discard any crops that grow lint or mold balls or do not grow any visible yeast after a few days. Successful yeast cultures will produce a milky layer on the surface and you will be able to see individual clumps of yeast from points on the surface.
Place the surviving starters in the refrigerator.
Now, to ensure successful cultures are activated, completely wrap the containers in film or other light-proof material, as light can destroy or damage the yeast clumps. Store them in the refrigerator, ideally at 1-2ºC or slightly warmer, to slow their growth and prevent nutrients from dying off.

If you want to use one of the starters, take it out of the refrigerator in advance to bring it to room temperature before using it.

You can also grow your yeast starter in a jar with fruit and water, or with potatoes, sugar or water.

Warnings

Leave the jar of sourdough starter half-filled with sourdough starter and leave less mixture each time as it begins to actively grow in volume.

What you will need

Bread sourdough:

Big jar
Cover, towel or paper napkins
Fridge

Brewer's yeast:

Brewer's yeast
Propane torch or other high temperature portable flame sources
Inocular loop
Agar powder
Pressure cooker
Soft or distilled water
Sealed flask
Dried malt extract (or other yeast)
Small containers.
Isopropyl alcohol
Opaque film
Fridge

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Alcohol production

Nutrient medium. The best nutrient medium for the propagation of alcoholic yeast is a malt-based medium, since it contains all the minerals necessary for their life and, moreover, the nitrogen contained in malt sprouts is most easily used by yeast as a food product. Malt from any cereal grain is suitable, but preference is given to malt from rye.

Under production conditions, mother and seed yeasts are propagated on malt wort. As for the production of production yeast, we are guided by the rule that the nutrient medium must contain not only all the nutrients necessary for the propagation of yeast, but at the same time its composition must correspond as closely as possible to the medium for which the yeast is prepared for fermentation. Therefore, despite the fact that a malt-based medium is the best for feeding alcoholic yeast, it is used for the propagation of industrial yeast, which is used only for the fermentation of cereal wort. Wort from potatoes, sugar beets, molasses or Jerusalem artichoke is fermented with industrial yeast propagated on wort prepared from the same raw materials with the addition of missing nutrients.

The scientific and technical literature provides various recipes and technologies for preparing the nutrient medium. We will present only a few of them, focusing on the preparation of a nutrient medium for the propagation of yeast from malt and a mixture of malt with flour, as the most universal.

Yeast wort based on malt. Freshly prepared crushed (or dry in the form of flour) malt is mixed with slightly heated (to a temperature of 30-35 ° C) water until the consistency of sour cream is achieved (approximately 0.5 kg of freshly prepared or 0.3-0.4 kg of malt flour per 1 .0-1.2 liters of water). The dough temperature slowly rises to 60-62°C, at which saccharification of the malt occurs due to the enzymes present in it. The duration of saccharification is 2 hours. By

After the specified time, the temperature of the mass is increased to the boiling point, at which the mass is sterilized within 20 minutes. A milder sterilization mode is also used: temperature 75-80°C, duration 20-30 minutes.

Yeast wort based on flour and malt. To prepare 1 liter of yeast wort for the propagation of industrial yeast, about 120-130 g of flour (rye is recommended) and the same amount of dry malt in the form of flour or 180-200 g of freshly grown crushed malt are used. Flour is mixed with 0.3-0.4 l, malt - 0.6-0.5 l of water. The technology is carried out as follows. Malt and flour are mixed separately with slightly heated (30-35°C) water until a homogeneous sour cream-like consistency is obtained. After this, in order to deisterize the starch, the mixture of flour and water is heated to 80-90°C, maintained at this temperature for 1 hour, j cooled to such a temperature that after adding the previously prepared mixture of malt with water to the paste, the temperature of the mass is 60-62 °C. The duration of saccharification is 1.5-2 hours. After saccharification, the mass is sterilized at 80-90°C for 30-40 minutes and cooled.

A nutrient medium for the propagation of industrial yeast intended for fermentation of wort from other types of raw materials is prepared from part of the wort intended for fermentation by adding the following quantity of malt for each 1 liter of yeast wort: potato - 60 g, corn - 100, chicory or Jerusalem artichoke - 80, beet 40-50, molasses or sugar - 50-60 g. The technology for preparing yeast wort from these materials is generally identical and | consists of uniformly stirring the malt with removal from the main mash, heating the mass to 57-60°C and saccharification of the malt starch at this temperature for 25-30 minutes, sterilizing it at 85°C for 20 minutes, and cooling. If there is no malt, it is necessary to add urea and

Orthophosphoric acid in an amount of 0.05-0.07% of each of the mass of raw materials spent! for preparing yeast wort,

A nutrient medium for the propagation of yeast for the fermentation of starch-containing raw materials is prepared without malt, after weaning from the old wort, adding minerals to it (see Table 17).

The nutrient medium for the propagation of yeast used to ferment wort from mixed raw materials, for example, from sugar beets, molasses and potatoes, is prepared at weaning from the wort that is richest in nutrients, in this example

From potatoes.

Acidification (acidification) of the nutrient medium. In a nutrient medium prepared in this way, it is necessary to create conditions under which the development of pathogenic microorganisms is impossible, and the development of alcoholic yeast will occur under optimal conditions. In industrial conditions, two technologies are used: sulfuric acid, using sulfuric acid, and the yeast obtained using this technology is called sulfuric acid, and lactic acid, using lactic acid, and the yeast obtained using this technology is called lactic acid. (Note that at the beginning of this century, in the technology of industrial alcohol production in Russia and Europe, hydrofluoric acid (HF) was widely used along with lactic acid to acidify the yeast bed, and sulfuric acid was used for these purposes only sporadically).

In both cases, the nutrient medium prepared as described above is cooled to 50-52°C and at this temperature either sulfuric acid or a pure culture of lactic acid bacteria, which produces lactic acid, is added to it. Since it is believed that lactic acid yeast produces alcohol of a higher quality than sulfuric acid yeast, we will describe the method of acidifying the medium using lactic acid in some detail.

Nutrient: medium with lactic acid. The use of lactic acid bacteria for acidifying the nutrient medium is based on the fact that the product of their vital activity is lactic acid

Not only does talc suppress the development of pathogenic microorganisms, but at the same time it enhances the growth of yeast. Under the conditions of modern industrial production, a sterilized nutrient medium, as described earlier, is cooled to a temperature of 50-52°C and acidified by adding a pure culture of lactic acid bacteria to it. A temperature of 50-52°C is optimal for the life of lactic acid bacteria, so maintaining it is extremely important.

Typically, the duration of souring is 18-24 hours at temperatures of 50-52°C, and the concentration is achieved

Lactic acid is about 10 g/l of nutrient medium. Under favorable temperature conditions, the acidification of the nutrient medium can last much longer, since lactic acid bacteria themselves are destroyed by a sufficient concentration of the product of their vital activity - lactic acid. Before the introduction of a culture of pure lactic acid bacteria into the technology of alcohol production, the acidification of the nutrient medium was carried out in various ways, some of which were quite complex. One of the simplest methods was to lubricate the walls of the yeast propagation container with sour milk. Later it was found that lactic acid bacteria in milk sour at room temperature are not identical to lactic acid bacteria necessary for distillation, and that the latter can be obtained in sufficiently pure form in milk sour at a temperature of 50°C.

If you add seeding yeast to a nutrient medium with a vital lactic acid bacterium and subsequently multiply production yeast into the wort, then the lactic acid bacteria will continue their vital activity in the wort, which is impractical. In order to destroy lactic acid bacteria, the acidified nutrient medium is sterilized at 75-80°C for 10-20 minutes. The nutrient medium sterilized in this way is quickly cooled to the required temperature and seeding yeast is added to it.

Nutrient medium with hydrofluoric (HF) and sulfuric (H2SO4) acids. The use of these acids for acidifying wort significantly simplifies the technology, shortens its duration and increases the yield of alcohol, since sugars are not spent on the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria and the formation of lactic acid.

Nutrient medium with hydrofluoric acid. I. Efron showed that lactic acid during yeast propagation can be replaced by a small amount of hydrofluoric acid, which is a strong poison for pathogenic microorganisms. In this case, yeast propagation is carried out as follows. From the wort prepared for fermentation, take the amount necessary for yeast propagation, cool it to a temperature of 27-28 ° C, after which dilute hydrofluoric acid is added to it at the rate of 2.3-2.5 g of 100% acid per 10 liters of yeast wort . After cooling the wort to 22-23°C, pitching yeast is added to it in the amount of 1 liter of pitching yeast per 10 liters of yeast wort (note that here we are talking about industrial technology, where the volume of yeast wort is many hundreds of liters, due to which the reproduction yeast in it is accompanied by a significant increase in temperature). After 10-^12 hours, production yeast is ready to be added to the main wort.

Note that the introduction of hydrofluoric acid into the main wort also leads to an increase in the yield of alcohol and an increase in its quality. However, it is added to the main wort in such a way that its concentration in it after adding yeast wort, which already contains hydrofluoric acid, is 2 times lower than in yeast wort. Instead of hydrofluoric acid, ammonium fluoride or aluminum fluoride can be used: the latter is taken at 0.15-0.3 g per 10 liters of wort.

Nutrient medium with sulfuric acid. The acid is added to the yeast wort after saccharification and sterilization when it reaches a temperature of 50-55°C. It is recommended that the acidity of the yeast wort be: molasses - 1.2-1.4°; potatoes - 0.9-1.2; flour, malt or mixtures thereof - 0.7-0.9°. In the conditions of industrial alcohol production, the required amount of acid in each specific case is determined by titration, which, if the appropriate chemicals are available, can be carried out at home. In case of their absence, the indicated acidity of the yeast wort is approximately ensured by adding a kilo of wort from: molasses - 2.4-2.5 ml; potatoes - 1.3-1.5; malt, flour or their mixture - 1.0-1.2 ml of acid. The volume of acid with 100% H2SO4 content is indicated. The acid is added as follows. The measured amount of acid is diluted with 5-6 times the volume of water in a glass container, pouring the acid into the water, after which the diluted acid is poured into the wort, cooled to a temperature of 50-55°C. After cooling the acidified yeast wort to a temperature of 28-30°C, yeast is added to it for its propagation.

The process of yeast reproduction. Typically, yeast propagation is carried out at 28-30°C. In industrial production conditions, where yeast propagation is carried out in containers of relatively large volume, the initial propagation temperature is 15-20°C. During the process of yeast reproduction, it spontaneously increases to 28-30°C, which is maintained during the reproduction process. The duration of reproduction at this temperature is usually 15-20 hours. At the same time, about 4-5% of sugars remain unprocessed, and the share of alcohol is 8-10 vol.%. This proportion of alcohol is necessary for the reason that part of the multiplied yeast (about 1/10 of the volume) will be used as seed in the next cycle of production of production yeast, and the resulting alcohol is a preservative. If it is not intended to select seeds from the multiplying yeast, then reproduction can be stopped 8-10 hours after adding seeds

Rice. 13. Designs of fermentation piles. The arrows indicate the direction of movement of carbon dioxide.

Yeast to the nutrient medium" In this case, the proportion of alcohol will be 4-5 vol.%.

In domestic conditions, it is possible to use wort, for example, from sugar, which does not contain the nutrients necessary for the propagation of yeast, and there is no malt or other materials containing nutrients for yeast. In this case, a sufficient amount of yeast must be added to the wort immediately. The required amount can be estimated as follows. It is known that in the conditions of industrial alcohol production, for example, from molasses containing 17-18% Sugars, at the end of fermentation, 100 liters of mature mash contain 1.5-2 kg of yeast in terms of pressed yeast 75% moisture, that is, such as are supplied to retail. This means that for quick and high-quality fermentation of wort, in which yeast will not multiply, 75-100 g of pressed yeast per 1 kg of sugar is enough. This quantity of yeast is sufficient in excess to ferment wort from any other material containing the necessary food for the propagation of yeast. In any case, the quality of the alcohol will be higher when the yeast multiplies during the fermentation process. This is possible if the wort contains all the nutrients necessary for their life.

In old Russian distilleries that did not use superheated steam, potatoes were boiled either by regular boiling in water or by steam at a temperature not exceeding 100°C. At the same time, in digesters...

Purification of alcohol by distillation and rectification refers to hot purification methods. It is based on the physical phenomena of evaporation and condensation. Along with these cleaning methods, starting from the XVI - XVII ...

Dorosh A.K., Lisenko B.C. In the Russian language until the beginning of the 20th century. there was no word “moonshine” in the above meaning. The term appeared in the southern and southeastern provinces of Russia, on ...

#1 Lzaza Posted 25 January 2017 - 19:26

Moscow city
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience: Beginner

Well, comrades, I’m almost ready to master the basics of microbiology) Chemical glassware has been purchased, the box for conducting experiments is ready.

Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow I’ll collect the lager yeast from the fermenter in a test tube and on the weekend I’ll start making crops. I didn’t put all the dishes in the frame, but it seems like everything is there.

maybe someone won’t appreciate my impulse to breed yeast, but that’s who I am and I’m interested in it) don’t judge my equipment too harshly, I think it’s good for a start)

in the first photo there is a regular lamp to illuminate the workspace, in the second the UV lamp is turned on.

compressor connected to 0.023 micron filter (filter inside)

since the hydrometer readings showed that the lager had fermented, I decided to collect the S-23 yeast today, first boiled a test tube with a stopper and held it under a UV lamp for 20 minutes, then the test tube went into the refrigerator. The operation of filling the test tube was carried out wearing gloves in a box. I pre-sprayed everything with 70% alcohol.

Demid, Pro-SS, Grigoriy163 and 2 others like this

#2 Pro-SS Posted 25 January 2017 - 22:38

ADMIN
Messages: 3,581

CityStavropol
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience:Advanced

Everything is fine! They wrote to you about surfaces, and by the way, Sanpin also writes about this, ceramic tiles are smooth, oil paint, plastic, those maximally smooth, even surfaces. Children should have taken laminated chipboard, it’s not very expensive, but it would be better for you. But I understand that you are still at the development stage, I think that window profiles and sandwich panels + glass will be the most correct solution for you.

I understood that you were inspired by the whole thing, but I just don’t understand why you would sow crops with yeast from a tank and find strong cultures? Is it better to buy liquid yeast and propagate it in this way, or take a pure culture from our Russian yeast producers?

#3 Lzaza Posted January 25, 2017 - 23:45

Moscow city
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience: Beginner

I’ll do that, I just want to work out the process itself now)

Boiling wort to create a nutrient medium and breed yeast

To breed yeast, I need 5 liters of wort (with a reserve) with a density of 1.040. I mashed 0.9 kg of Pale according to the simplest scheme - 64 degrees 1 hour and 78 degrees

While I was boiling the wort, I washed two flasks for the 1st and 2nd transfers and five test tubes. I placed them on foil, pre-treated with 70% alcohol. Washed with Starsan

two liter bottles, one will contain wort to reproduce the nutrient medium, the second for the final starter.

Finished wort with a density of 1.040

and then pipetted 10 ml of 5 ml into each test tube,

At this stage I didn’t bother too much with disinfection, i.e. use a box, gloves and a UV lamp, because it will still boil.

I also put the plugs in the pan, this is not shown in the photo. Boiled for 10 minutes.

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#4 Lzaza Posted January 25, 2017 - 23:56

Moscow city
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience: Beginner

One liter bottle went into the refrigerator from which I will make a nutrient medium (probably tomorrow, if I have the strength)

The second one is in the freezer for now - it is for the final starter, after defrosting I will boil it again, or rather the wort from it.

I put alcohol-preserved foil on the flasks, secured them with an elastic band and also put them in the refrigerator; they will be needed at stages 1 and 2 of propagation.

I cooled the test tubes and sealed them with stoppers and also in the cold. At this stage, I did everything using gloves treated with 70% alcohol.

That's all for today.

MASIV, Demid, Pro-SS and 2 others like this

#5 Dmitri Posted January 26, 2017 - 00:44

CityViimsi
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience: Beginner

Super! Dream. Also busy looking for specials. dishes

#6 Badvoice Posted 26 January 2017 - 01:01

CitySpb
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience: Beginner

You have a lot of free time and space in your apartment :)

2x BeerZavodik + brewer 2 in 1 20 l

#7 Lzaza Posted 26 January 2017 - 01:18

Moscow city
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience: Beginner

I do all this at work and after work)

#8 Aol_WB Posted 26 January 2017 - 01:43

Moscow city
Hobby:Brewer
Your experience:Advanced

Apparently, tindalization is meant... Only, you need at least 3 boils and 24 hours between them at a temperature of 25-37 Celsius.

It seems to me that “Muravyov’s autoclave” will be simpler. The only thing is that midisarts are too expensive.

FAQ - quick answers to typical questions

FAQ - quick answers to common questions FAQ - quick answers to common questions FAQ - quick answers to common questions FAQ - quick answers to common questions

When considering the positive and negative qualities of various designs of moonshine stills, one should not lose sight of another important component of the moonshine process - raw materials. Alcoholic yeast, sugar and water are accessible and inexpensive components, but the mode of preparing mash at home and the choice of the type of yeast can lead to completely different results in different conditions.

Yeast is a living single-celled organism, during the life of which ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide and many related substances are produced, which, dissolving in water, form mash - the main raw material for moonshine and alcohol production in general. There is a misconception that alcohol is the main purpose of yeast activity. This is not entirely true. Like other chemical compounds, alcohol is a by-product that is (not always) more beneficial to humans than to the yeast itself.

Another thing is that there are many strains of yeast, the percentage of alcohol after fermentation of which is very different.

Alcoholic yeast is a specially bred variety in which the alcohol content in the mash is the highest - about 13% of the volume of the mash; theoretically, it is possible to obtain a mash with a strength of 15-18%, but for this it is necessary to create ideal conditions.

Living conditions for yeast

If you throw sugar and yeast into water, stir, close the container with a lid and forget about the mash for a week or two, then the fermentation process may not even begin. The life and reproduction of yeast begins at a temperature of 22 C and slows down when it reaches 28 0 C, and above that it stops. The starter should be kept in this temperature range throughout the entire fermentation period. Its cessation is indicated by the clearing of the liquid and a sharp alcohol smell after opening the lid.

It should be noted that for fermentation it is necessary to choose the right container. It must be made from:

Glass jar - perhaps the most popular vessel

You cannot use galvanized steel and polyethylene - containers made of these materials, even with a small amount of alcohol in the mash, form unappetizing compounds with it, which can lead to poisoning even after distillation. Aluminum flasks and milk cans can be used with caution. There are still debates about their dangers (regarding contact with alcohol). If there is another option, then it is advisable to abandon aluminum, no matter how much you are convinced of its harmlessness.

In addition to dishes, the life of yeast is greatly influenced by the quality of water. Yeast for moonshine does not like chlorinated water, distilled, carbonated, too hard (carbonate) and salty. Even if the water seems very tasty to you, the yeast may not like it. The best choice is spring or well water. But even here it is better to experiment, if possible, with water from different sources.

Conditions favorable for the propagation of alcoholic yeast include lighting - the process works better in the dark, at least so that direct sunlight does not fall on the mash. If glassware is used, it should be locked in a dark closet or covered with a light-proof cloth.

The mash must be stirred daily. Not too vigorously, but to the bottom. Before placing in mash, pressed yeast must be diluted in a small amount of warm water with sugar.

Choosing yeast for moonshine

The food industry produces various types of yeast that are suitable, conditionally suitable and absolutely unsuitable for moonshine brewing. They are sold in pressed or dried form (powder). At home, it is best to store them in the refrigerator for as long as needed to prepare the next batch of mash.

Essentially, before the fermentation process begins, yeast are fungal spores that are in a standby mode. When placed in a favorable environment, they quickly begin to multiply. The debate doesn’t care what state it is in, and the popular misconception that dry yeast is unsuitable for moonshine remains a complete misconception.

The only thing that matters is the type of yeast, and of course the expiration date, it is written on the package. It is advisable to use compressed yeast long before its expiration date, approximately until ¾ of the indicated period. They could be stored in completely unsuitable conditions, and their safety margin, like that of any living organism, is quite limited. Yeast can be bought:

The first type works very well in dough, but for moonshine making it is purely conditionally suitable if there are no alcoholic ones and it will not be possible to get them in the near future. Why is that? Previously, mash was prepared exclusively with baker's yeast. The explanation is simple - a small alcohol yield (about 10%) and a long fermentation period - 12-14 days. During this time, many accompanying substances are formed in the mash - fusel, acetone, aldehydes.

Pressed and dry bread yeast can be easily purchased at any grocery store. Once you gain some experience, you can do without alcoholic yeast, especially if you use baker’s yeast in the “turbo” modification. They are produced in a mixture with special fertilizers, which activate the enzymes of yeast fungi and reduce the fermentation period to 5-6 days. Yeast can be stored in the refrigerator.

Wine yeast is a good material for a moonshiner, but it is very difficult to buy, and when ordering on the Internet, it is quite expensive. You should buy them only for making fruit and berry mash. But for this purpose, you can also use homemade yeast. It’s difficult to make alcoholic yeast with your own hands, but you can make wine yeast. Of course, they will differ somewhat from the factory ones for the worse, but they will be able to work well.

Brewer's yeast is not suitable for moonshine. They can be used as medicine or for making beer at home, but they are not suitable for strong alcohol.

Alcohol dry yeast is a special strain that is used only for the production of alcohol. You can buy them in specialized stores or on the Internet. They provide fermentation for 3-7 days and a high yield of alcohol (actually 13-14%). Instructions for use are usually on the packaging.

When using alcoholic yeast, the vessel with the mash cannot be hermetically sealed; you can use a water seal or one of the traditional methods - a rubber medical glove on the neck, it is simply effective. The glove swells during fermentation, so one of the fingers needs to be pierced with a needle. After fermentation stops, the glove falls off and this signals that the mash is ready.

Alcoholic yeast is included in the delivery package of almost all industrial moonshine stills, but it’s not worth buying a unit for the sake of yeast. They can be ordered on any of the sites selling goods for home brewing. In addition to the formation of a high alcohol content, they are practically devoid of the characteristic beer smell and do not affect the taste of moonshine. Even if distillation at home is carried out without a steamer or bubbler, the primary moonshine made from alcoholic yeast is very different from a drink made with baker’s yeast

Buying alcohol yeast is the best way out. But it’s much more pleasant to distill moonshine from your own yeast. If you are preparing fruit mash, then you can prepare wine yeast yourself. To do this, you need to collect 1 kg of berries or grapes, which must be sweet, and pour them with warm (up to 25 C) syrup from 1 liter of water and 0.25 kg of sugar. Do not wash the berries. Place the workpiece in a warm, dark place and wait 2-3 days.

Wild yeast living on berries (raspberries, grapes) begin to multiply intensively and at this moment they need to be placed in a vessel with mash. This amount of yeast is enough for 20-25 liters of fruit mash, but they are not suitable for sugar mash - it will ferment, but very slowly.

Potato yeast has also proven itself well in practice. You need to grate 2-3 potatoes on a fine grater and add a tablespoon of sugar to them, mix and leave in a warm place for 12 hours. Should be used immediately after this period has expired. For 10 liters of mash (sugar) you will need 1 liter of potato preparation (15 medium potatoes and 200 grams of sugar).

After the start of fermentation in the mash, it doesn’t hurt to add a little boiled peas, green malt or raisins; steamed rye flour gives a good effect. These supplements are rich in microelements that activate yeast activity.

Yeast is the main component of mash. By saving on them, you will not achieve the desired result even on the most “advanced” device. You can make good moonshine only from high-quality raw materials.

Yeast for moonshine, beer and wine

Yeast is one of the most important components of the fermentation process. They are invisible fungi that, under the influence of a set of enzymes, can convert sugar into carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. There are many varieties of yeast that differ in their reproduction temperature, habitat, resistance and many other characteristics.

Cultivated yeast has a race name. Yeast can be brewer's yeast (bottom and top fermentation), alcoholic yeast, bread yeast, or wine yeast. The most suitable yeast for making moonshine is alcoholic yeast, since its life process takes place in the temperature range in which mash is often prepared, and it is more resistant to a high degree of alcohol concentration in it.

If alcoholic yeast is not available, then top-fermenting brewer's yeast can be used, but it can withstand a lower degree of alcohol concentration in the solution.

In terms of quality characteristics, bread yeast is also acceptable, but wine yeast or “wild” yeast should not be used, since they are less stable and if they are used, the alcohol formed in the mash begins to decompose into acetic acid and water in the presence of oxygen . To avoid this, when using “wild” yeast, be sure to place a water seal on the fermentation tank.

Alcohol is used to maintain the vital functions of yeast, but when the mash reaches about 15% strength, many types of yeast die, regardless of the fact that there is still unused sugar in the mash.

As stated earlier, alcoholic yeast is the most suitable.

Common recipes for making yeast

To make rye yeast at home, you need to place 400 g of hops in a saucepan, pour in 6 liters of water, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for three hours. Then cool the resulting mixture to 35-40 C, stirring constantly, and strain. After this, add four glasses of flour and the same amount of rye malt, add one glass of yeast. After stirring, all this must be kept for 24 hours in a warm place. Then pour the yeast into bottles, close tightly and place in a cool place for storage.

The yeast is very strong.

Yeast from rye bread

To prepare beer yeast at home, dilute one glass of flour in a glass of warm water and keep this mixture in a warm place for 5-6 hours. Add 250 g of beer and a full tablespoon of sugar, mix well and again leave in a warm place for a while. This yeast can be stored in a cold place for a very long time.

Homemade yeast from fresh hops

The prepared yeast is bottled and stored in a cold place.

Yeast from fresh hops

To store yeast you need to place it in a cool place.

Dry hop yeast

Pour the prepared yeast into bottles and store in the cold.

"Wine" yeast prepared from raisins

Place a tablespoon of sugar in a half-liter glass bottle, add boiling water (300-400 ml), then close with a cotton plug and cool to room temperature. Then add a tablespoon of raisins and close the cork again. The starter will be ready to use in seven days. Such yeast does not last long. They are also used to make wine.

When fruit and berry raw materials are used to prepare mash, you can use so-called “wild” yeast. It won't be difficult to make them at home. To do this, you need to take ripe berries (you cannot wash them, since the yeast that is on their surface will be washed off), grind them and place them in a glass container. After this, based on 2 cups of pureed berries, add half a glass of sugar and pour one glass of water. After that, the resulting mixture is shaken and, covering the container with a cloth or cotton wool, transferred for 3-4 days to a dark and fairly warm place. Then the resulting mixture is filtered using gauze and used instead of breeding yeast. To ensure that the fermentation process goes well, add 300 g of starter per 10 liters of mash. This yeast can be stored for no more than 10 days.

If necessary, you can replace regular yeast with other products, for example, tomato paste, but it must be taken (depending on the degree of concentration) twice as much as regular yeast is used. A decoction made from hops is also used.

Let's look at recipes for yeast propagation.

Yeast propagation on barley

The yeast is quite strong.

Yeast propagation on bran

Pour four full glasses of wheat bran into the pan, then pour boiling water so that the bran is lightly covered and begin to actively stir until a thick porridge appears. Then add a handful of bran, stir and cover with gauze on top. Leave the resulting mixture for five minutes. Then add another handful of bran and just a little boiling water, mix again and, covering the top with gauze, set for about ten minutes so that they become malty. Then add a little boiling water to bring the bran to the consistency of sour cream and stir until it cools to 35-40°C. Then the water needs to be drained and the bran squeezed out through a napkin. Add three-quarters of a cup of prepared hop infusion to the resulting liquid (pour 25 g of hops with a glass of boiling water, infuse and strain). Cool the resulting composition, add 3-4 tablespoons of old yeast to it. Pour everything into bottles, filling them three-quarters full and, sealing tightly, leave for 6 hours in a dark place. After that we put them in a cool place. This yeast, as a rule, does not last long.

Yeast propagation on flour

To obtain a nutrient medium from flour, take 100 g of pre-sifted flour, stir it with a glass of water and leave for 5-6 hours. Add a teaspoon of baker's or brewer's yeast to one-fourth glass of malt wort, mix it all with the previously diluted flour, and leave it in a warm place for a day. After this, the yeast is ready for use.

Yeast propagation on potatoes

To prepare yeast from potatoes, you need to take 8 large potatoes or 15 medium ones, boil them, then peel and grind them. Then dilute the resulting potatoes with water until the thickness of liquid sour cream, add 100 g of wine or beer and one teaspoon of yeast. The foam head will gradually increase, so the yeast must be shaken from time to time. After a day, pour the yeast into bottles and place in a cool place.

Renewing old yeast

Old yeast is ground in a small portion of warm water and one teaspoon of sugar is added. If after ten minutes bubbles begin to appear, then the yeast has “come to life”. Select pieces of dark-colored yeast and discard them. That's it, the yeast is ready! It should be noted that instead of yeast you can use half a glass of beer. The resulting yeast should be used on the same day.

Please note the products from our store:

Neodisher Cl disinfectant

Inpinto brand malt extracts: Light Set of 3 varieties

Home microbrewery Mr.Beer Premium Kit

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A simple way to propagate yeast (alcoholic, wine, regular)

Theory. If you add less yeast than the amount recommended in recipes, fermentation will take much longer, and the taste of the finished drink may deteriorate due to the long time spent on the lees. In addition, when fermentation is too long, some yeast release harmful substances into the wort. Therefore, if there is little strain left, it is better to first dilute it separately in a nutrient medium and only then add it to the mash or wort.

Since potatoes are more accessible than malt and do not require preliminary preparation, and the result is the same in both cases, we will next consider a technique based specifically on potatoes.

Ingredients for yeast propagation:

small raw potatoes - 2 pieces;
sugar – 1 heaped tablespoon;
salt - half a tablespoon;
warm water (maximum 30°C) – 250 ml;
yeast - how much is left (a quarter of a teaspoon or less).

To activate the starter for 3-4 liters of mash (juice):

warm water (40°C) – 100 ml;
sugar – 1 level tablespoon;
ready yeast - 2 tablespoons.

If the method is followed, the potato medium does not affect the taste of the drink in any way; the resulting starter can be used to make wine or fruit mash.

Yeast breeding technology

1. Wash and peel raw potatoes. Grind on a fine grater.

2. Pour the resulting mass into a small saucepan. Add a heaping tablespoon of sugar and half a tablespoon of salt.

3. Pour in water. Mix until smooth.

4. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat (do not boil).

5. Cool the mixture to 25-30°C.

6. Pour the prepared nutrient medium into a jar, filling 50-70% of the volume so that there is free space left. Add the remaining cultured yeast. Mix.

Fermentation has begun, yeast is actively multiplying

Foam and hissing indicate the readiness of the starter

10. The resulting yeast can be propagated several times using the above technology.

Is it possible to use diluted yeast immediately, before refrigerating it, and activate it with 100 ml of water and a spoonful of sugar?

If I understood the question correctly, then yes, it is possible. Activation as in the recipe.

Good afternoon, can you tell me if the grown yeast is suitable for sugar mash?

Hello. I'm trying to make a nutrient medium, but for some reason it turns out to be a real puree. I already poured one medium into the toilet, made a new one, put in less potatoes - it cools down and thickens again. And in the video you can see that there is liquid and there are “strings” of potatoes in it, but I just have liquid mashed potatoes. I’m thinking: should I add yeast or not?

Or I’m thinking about adding another 125 ml. water, 1/2 spoon of sugar and 1/4 spoon of salt to make it thinner? If you add it, do you need to bring it all together again to a boil, or will it do? Probably the homemade potatoes are very starchy, as if they didn’t thicken again.

It's better to boil then.

Hello! After draining the alcohol mash, there is a sediment left, can you make a new mash in it only from pressed (bread) yeast?

Theoretically, yes, but I don’t see the point in this.

Good afternoon. I did everything according to the instructions, but haven’t put it in the refrigerator yet. Now I need to multiply the yeast so that there is enough for 50 liters of mash, what is the sequence of actions?

Tell! Is it possible to reuse yeast after the wort has fermented for the first time (those that remain at the bottom of the container) or multiply them first as written above?! To enhance their vital activity.

It is possible, but it is better to reproduce.

A couple more equally important questions!

Will the smell of mashed potatoes during renewal or proliferation of yeast greatly affect the taste of the wine (in my case, wild wine yeast)?

And question 2: is it better to dry or freeze and keep the sediment from wild wine yeast in the freezer after it has completely stopped fermentation (12%)?!

2). I would choose the sediment.

The recipe yields about 40-45 liters of yeast, but I don’t need that much - I make 15 liters at a time, every 1.5-2 months, or even less often. Accordingly, the yeast will not last that long in the refrigerator. Can they be frozen and are there any special features for activation after defrosting? I want to conduct an experiment with the remainder of Belarusian alcoholic yeast.

It’s possible, and then just warm it up, but it’s not a fact that they will survive.

Do you have any experience with Koji reproduction?

No Unfortunately.

Hello! Is it possible to reproduce wild ones somehow?

Good day, there is sediment in the young wine (1 month with wild yeast). Question: 1). Is it possible to drain the sediment and multiply them? 2). Dry the sediment and get dry yeast? Thank you.

Yes, you can, try it.

Hello, I want to propagate double snake c48 yeast.

1). How much yeast do you need to use for propagation?

2). After dilution, how much of this starter will need to be taken into a 32 liter mixing bucket: 26 liters of water and 9 kg of sugar? Will it be necessary to add fertilizer to the mash for this propagated yeast, since in the source the fertilizer was present in the package.

It is advisable to add additional fertilizing, the rest is in the article.

As I understand? You can add all the resulting starter to a 32 liter bucket, because a lot of yeast is good, and what fertilizing do you recommend?

Yes, the top dressing is the one that was in the yeast or the most similar composition.

Why did my request go unanswered and why was it removed from the comments?

Because you need to write correctly, using punctuation marks.

Okay, not a question, but I was still hoping for your help on that issue with superphosphate. And the multiplied yeast began to work, not yet as active as from the pack, but it miraculously smells. The only thing I’m very worried about is superphosphate as a top dressing, I’m afraid of getting poisoned.

Nothing bad will happen.

When propagating, a water seal may not be needed. Yeast needs oxygen at this stage.

It’s better to put it so that it doesn’t start to sour.

Hello, I have a pack of Belarusian yeast 500 gr. The packaging says for preparing 120 liters of mash. I want to supply a 200 liter barrel. How to properly feed 500 grams of yeast, and to what volume, so that it is enough for 200 liters.

Just add the whole pack and let it ferment, it will play for a day longer, that's all.

Is such propagation possible with brewer’s yeast? And the second question is, where can I find a description of yeast propagation on malt, because there is malt, there are problems in it, but I don’t really believe in store-bought potatoes.

You can also use beer ones, I didn’t understand about malt, the method is described in the article.

How much malt is needed for propagation, and in what proportions to use with malt, the article specifically refers to potatoes.

We don’t make it with malt.

I want to propagate turbo 48 yeast, can I use B vitamins and whey protein, or baby formula for feeding?

Haven't tried any of the mixtures.

Today I set up yeast for propagation. I think that dry yeast should first be diluted in a small amount of water before adding to the medium; it will grow faster, since it is evenly distributed in the medium, and not in pieces. The question is, if the yeast is immediately in a packet with fertilizer, when diluting the yeast in 5 ml of water, will it die due to the high content of fertilizer?

I made the dressing according to the recipe, it turned out thick, but still it’s starch and sugar, apparently that’s how it should be. I beat it with a blender to enrich it with oxygen, added vitamin B1, I got a lot of small bubbles in the medium, I think it’s beneficial. All this has fermented, the bubbles have increased in size, but do not rise to the surface of the medium. It should be? Will they eventually start to come out? Or there is a lot of starch in my potatoes and I ended up with jelly.

It's hard to say, watch.

It took a little over a day to prepare my thick starter. Because of the density, the bubbles did not rise well; I had to shake the jar and open it a couple of times to enrich it with oxygen. As soon as active fermentation stopped, I put it in the refrigerator. Then I tried to ferment the spoon, the active release of bubbles began after 40 minutes. This weekend I’ll put out a mash with fertilizer. I'll describe everything.

What to make natural yeast for alcohol from. What is alcohol yeast and why is it better for a moonshiner? Types, composition, preparation at home

Varieties of Yeast Strains

Price of moonshine yeast

What is the difference between alcohol strains and all other strains?

How to prepare yeast for moonshine

Rye

On beer

On rye bread

Use of baker's yeast

Alcoholic yeast for moonshine

Brewer's yeast

Wine yeast for moonshine

Conditions for yeast to live

Ideal nutrition for yeast

DIY yeast

Video about choosing yeast for mash.

Method 1: Growing yeast from sourdough bread

Method 2 Growing brewer's yeast

Warnings

What you will need

#1 Lzaza Posted 25 January 2017 - 19:26

#2 Pro-SS Posted 25 January 2017 - 22:38

#3 Lzaza Posted January 25, 2017 - 23:45

#4 Lzaza Posted January 25, 2017 - 23:56

#5 Dmitri Posted January 26, 2017 - 00:44

#6 Badvoice Posted 26 January 2017 - 01:01

#7 Lzaza Posted 26 January 2017 - 01:18

#8 Aol_WB Posted 26 January 2017 - 01:43

Living conditions for yeast

Choosing yeast for moonshine

Yeast for moonshine, beer and wine

Please note the products from our store:

Neodisher Cl disinfectant

Inpinto brand malt extracts: Light Set of 3 varieties

Home microbrewery Mr.Beer Premium Kit

Write a comment Cancel reply

A simple way to propagate yeast (alcoholic, wine, regular)

Yeast breeding technology

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