Bentonite for clarification of wine and mash. Clay, chicken eggs, gelatin and other ways to clarify homemade wine How much bentonite to add to clarify wine

Hello everyone! Today I will tell you about how to clarify with bentonite. I'll tell you what it is, where to get it and how to use it correctly. Cleaning the mash with bentonite is very simple, as you will see now.

Why clarify the mash

Why to clarify the mash, you probably know as well as I do, but just in case, I'll tell you briefly. After fermentation, dead yeast remains in the mash, which burns during distillation. This gives the final product an unpleasant odor. It also produces harmful compounds.

The easiest way to clarify is to put the fermentation tank in the cold and wait a couple of days. It's easy to do in winter, but what about when it's summer? In this case, bentonite will come to our aid. He will not only paste over the mash at room temperature, but will also do it much faster than cold (there were cases when 15 minutes were enough).

What is bentonite

Bentonite is a type of natural clay. It is used in construction, agriculture, mechanical engineering, etc. Even in the manufacture of rubber for tires and as a cat litter.

But the most interesting thing for you and me is that it is used for pasting (clarifying) wines. And for a long time - from the 30s of the last century in the United States and from the 60s in the USSR.

The thing is that this clay has excellent adsorbing properties. It binds dead yeast, microorganisms, proteins, etc. and precipitates with them. In other words, she collects all the dregs from the mash and lowers it to the bottom. The result is a cleaned and clarified mash. We just have to decant it (drain it from the sediment).

Where to get bentonite

The easiest way to buy it is in specialized stores for winemakers. I recommend that you do just that. It is inexpensive and you will definitely get the right bentonite for winemaking, ready to use.

If there is no opportunity or desire to buy wine bentonite, then you can purchase it at a regular Pet store. The fact is that bentonite is used as a cat litter. Read the composition carefully, it should indicate that the filler is 100% clay and there are no fragrances.

But even such a filler does not always give the desired effect. Plus, it still needs to be prepared for use. I will talk about the preparation in the next section, but for now I will give examples of well-established manufacturers of toilet fillers: Pi-Pi-Bent, CatSan, WC Closet Cat, Kotyara.

I do not advise using any others, tk. not all work well. If you have experience using a manufacturer not included in this list, then write about it in the comments.

How to use

I want to warn you right away. It is necessary to clarify completely fermented mash and at room temperature. If the process is still going on, then nothing will work.

If you are sure that fermentation is over, then proceed to pasting. If in doubt, it is better to heat the mash to 50 degrees. At this temperature, all yeast will definitely die.

Attention! Do not empty used bentonite down the drain. He clogs the pipes so that they can only be cleaned mechanically!

• Application of wine bentonite

1. We measure out the required amount of bentonite. The instructions say that a standard 20-gram sachet is enough for 23 liters of liquid. I usually take 1.5 grams per liter for a 10 liter fermentation tank. With increasing volumes, it is better to increase the amount of clay in proportion.

For reference: if there are no exact scales, then be guided as follows - half a teaspoon ≈ 2 grams, a heaped tablespoon ≈ 20 grams.

But, of course, it is better to buy electronic scales. In our business, they will come in handy more than once. You can order the Chinese... Rubles for 350.

1. Fill with cold water 1 to 10, mix and leave to swell for 2-3 hours.
2. When the clay swells, stir it again and slowly pour it into the fermentation tank, while actively stirring the mash.
3. Clarification can last from 15 minutes to a day. Usually a 10 liter bottle is pasted over for me in 20 minutes, a 20 liter bottle in 40-50.

• If you decide to use toilet filler

1. We take the filler at the rate of 2-3 tablespoons per 20 liters of mash.
2. Grind into powder in a coffee grinder.
3. We put the powder in a jar, fill in warm water(250 ml) and mix until smooth.
4. Pour the resulting solution into the mash.

You don't need to smudge or grind the grinder (although it's better to grind it anyway). Simply pour the filler into a jar of warm water, close the lid tightly and shake vigorously to prevent bentonite from clumping. Shake the can 4 times at 5 minute intervals.

Video

Below is a visual video of one of my colleagues from YouTube. It brightens right before your eyes.

Now you know how to clarify the mash with bentonite. Hard? I also think not. Be sure to tell us in the comments how you did it? Also indicate which bentonite was used. In conclusion, I will say that this is not the only way of pasting the mash. In the near future, I will talk about others. And for today I say goodbye to you.

Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.

Strong and still wines are bottled and served after aging for 3-6 months. Provided that the wine fermented vigorously, properly defended and clarified on its own. Some fruit and berry and white wines do not stand up on their own, and newcomers to home winemaking can make mistakes in the process of making must, violate the conditions in which the mash should stand. It is also undesirable to have ready-made drink poorly discernible turbidity, which is formed as a result of the vital activity of wine yeast fungi, is a protein of dead yeast, tartar, impurities of a different origin.

You can lighten the wine different ways and using various substances - gelatin, tannin, chicken egg protein, casein, fish glue, hence the name of the process - gluing, or pasting. The choice of a substance for processing depends on the type of drink: gelatin is used to lighten white grape, apple, pear and plum varieties, egg white- for reds, tannin - for drinks with a high sugar content.

It is more effective to clarify grape varieties with white clay. , or white clay - a refined natural material with excellent absorbent properties. It is better to order and buy it in specialized online stores that offer homemade wine products. Some winemakers use clay intended for cosmetic purposes or for filling cat litters, but usually such material is processed with perfume, the smell will subsequently be passed on to the finished drink.

Benefits of bentonite in clarifying wines

The main advantages of using wine bentonites are explained by the high absorbing properties of the fine-pored material, due to which:

• the drink is cleared of foreign impurities - large particles and suspensions;
• the level of iron in the drink decreases;
• in refined wine, all extraneous unpleasant odors are eliminated, only the grape or fruit aroma of natural wine and the corresponding bouquet remains;
• refined wine is provided with the taste and aftertaste characteristic of a certain type of natural grape drink.

Refined clay is a chemically neutral substance that does not react with the material of the container in which the drink is kept, and with the contents.

Bentonite material is used in the secondary processing of wine if gelatin, protein, tannin and other absorbents did not give the desired result, which once again confirms its advantages over other substances for pasting drinks.

This is not only a homemade way of clarifying wine and moonshine. Wines of various sorts and brands, as well as stronger drinks are processed with bentonite for clarification and removal of impurities and odors in the distilling industry.

Not the last place in the list of advantages is occupied by the low price of the material, as well as its insignificant consumption: for pasting 1 liter of wine, you will need only 3 grams of refined clay.

How to use wine bentonites

In specialized online stores, you can buy bentonite in the most purified form. It is already crushed fine-grained powder, ready to use. How to use it is detailed in the clarification instructions that came with the package, which can be found below.

The clarification level of white clay purchased from a pharmacy or beauty salon is suitable for gluing wines, but a product with no pronounced odor should be selected.

Clay from pet stores used for filling cat litters is less cleaned, but it can also have masking odors that are unacceptable for wines.

Therefore, cosmetic bentonite or clay from pet stores is best used to clarify the home brew mash. Clarification of wine is best done with a specially purified product purchased in specialized stores.

Instructions for cleaning wines with bentonite

If a novice winemaker messed up with the wine instructions, and as a result, the drink did not cleanse itself during the aging time set for each variety, cleaning with bentonite is necessary. White clay can be applied immediately or after unsuccessful pasting with gelatin, protein or other substances.

If you bought a ready-made powder from a specialist store, just follow the step-by-step instructions exactly:

1. Pour the dry powder with water in a ratio of 1:10.
2. Leave on for 10-12 hours to swell.
3. Dilute with water until liquid.
4. Stir the wine to form a funnel.
5. Pour the bentonite solution into the formed funnel.
6. Leave the wine to stand for 5-7 days.
7. Drain the clarified beverage from the sediment and bottle.

If white clay is purchased from a pet store, drugstore, or beauty salon, it needs to be pretreated because it is sold in shapeless chunks or bars and has not been heat treated. In this case, preliminary preparation includes the following steps:

• crush a lump or block into small fragments;
• spread the crumbs in a thin layer on a baking sheet;
• preheat the oven to 120 degrees;
• place a baking sheet with clay chips in the oven for 45 minutes;
• grind the crumbs to a powder state in an old blender or coffee grinder;
• store in a dry place in a glass container under a tightly closed lid that is impervious to air and moisture.

The resulting powder is used in accordance with the instructions posted above.

When using clay that is not intended for use, preliminary testing is recommended. Pour the contents of the container into a glass and, in accordance with the proportions, taste the self-made powder. If the process of flake formation and their settling to the bottom does not begin within 2-3 hours, you should not use the prepared powder on a large volume of drink.

Remember that the thick mass that settles to the bottom forms hard-to-remove solid blockages in the pipes, and therefore cannot be disposed of through the sewer system. The mass must be collected in unnecessary containers - bags, boxes, containers - and taken to the street trash can intended for construction waste. The container should be washed immediately after removing the sediment, preventing it from drying out and hardening.

Using the clarification instructions will ensure high-quality cleaning of grapes and from extraneous fractions and odors, while retaining the color, flavor bouquet, aftertaste and aroma of a natural drink inherent in the variety you want to get.

The specialized online store of the Best Group company, which produces and sells materials for winemaking and brewing, offers to buy highly purified fine-grained bentonite, specially designed for clarifying wines at home. Make an application by phone, via e-mail or come to the specified address.

Winemaking at home is a rather complicated process, since there are a number of nuances here. However, it is the clarification of the wine that deserves special attention. Of course, drinks made from individual berries and fruits can be clarified on their own, which means that they do not need human intervention.

These wines include those made from:

• raspberries;
• chokeberry;
• red currant;
• cranberries.

Nevertheless, for the complete cleaning of most of the drinks (wine, juice, home brew), human help is still required. The fact is that it is during clarification and filtration that unnecessary substances are removed from the wine, due to which it, in fact, is cloudy. After removing the sediment, we get a pure noble drink that has a really marketable appearance. There are many ways to accomplish this procedure - as far as using a flannel bag or cardboard - but today we are going to look at bleaching with bentonite. What is this mineral? How do I use it? This is what we will try to figure out.

What is bentonite and how is it related to alcohol?

Bentonite means a clay material belonging to the montmorillonite group and characterized by environmental friendliness and safety. One of the main features of the mineral is that it tends to swell when interacting with water. Moreover, thanks to bentonite, the sedimentation of turbid impurities is accelerated, microorganisms are removed, oxidative enzymes are adsorbed, the concentration of proteins decreases, etc. It turns out that the mineral is associated with alcohol and winemaking, in particular, precisely because of its distinctive features.

Note! It is for this reason that bentonite for clarification of mash and wine is gaining more and more popularity in recent years. Let's try to familiarize ourselves with this mineral in more detail.

Main deposits of wine bentonite

So, we found out that with the help of bentonite clays, the wort is clarified or the wine itself; moreover, the mineral is used to stabilize wines against protein turbidity (we will talk about the latter a little later). Most of the mineral is mined in the Transcaucasus, but more specifically, experienced winemakers recommend using bentonites from the deposits below.

1. Azerbaijan: Khurlalinskoe, Gekmalinskoe, Dash-Sakhalinskoe, Khanlar.
2. Moldavia: Tiraspolskoe.
3. Georgia: Askanskoe.
4. Ukraine: Pyzhevskoe, Gorbskoe, Kurtsevskoe.
5. Russia: Khakassia.
6. Uzbekistan: Akzamarskoe.

Bentonite deposit - Republic of Khakassia, 10th Khutor.

It is worth noting that the mineral that is used for the suspension must be dry without fail. It should also be stored in a dry place, more precisely, in special boxes or craft bags.

What are the differences between wine bentonite?

The scope of application of bentonite is unusually wide. In the food industry, for example, where the mineral is also known as food supplement E558, it is used in the production of brown mortar and animal feed. It is also actively used in hydraulic engineering, agriculture, steel and oil refining industries.

Common bentonite lefton right.

As for specifically wine bentonite, its main difference from the usual one is the increased requirement for chemical composition... Wine bentonite must meet the requirements of OST 18-49-71.

You can buy real Wine Bentonite from our partner - bentovin.ru.

The Bentovin company is the official representative of the only enterprise in Russia that extracts wine bentonite - Bentonite of Khakassia.

What makes drinks cloudy and why should they be clarified?

Natural precipitation is not the only reason wine becomes cloudy. The fact is that another almost imperceptible "dregs" remains in the waste: protein mass (remains of dead yeast), yeast waste, tartar, etc.... That is why it is recommended to clarify the drink before bottling - regardless of the specific variety - or, in the language of professionals, paste it over. Let's make a reservation right away that clarification is not the same as filtering... Various flannel or paper filters are used for filtration, but because of this, the quality of the drink deteriorates, it loses its strength and expires. Hence, lightening is always preferable.

As you know, wine production begins with pulp. For its production, it is necessary to take only fresh berries (necessarily free from dust), but in fact, unpeeled specimens, that is, with third-party inclusions, can, through imprudence, get there. As a result, due to such impurities, the final drink can become cloudy. Let's move on to the second reason. During the production process, the berries must be properly chopped - not coarsely, but not finely either. What is characteristic, the seeds of the fruit cannot be crushed, otherwise their particles will float in the alcohol in suspension. When the pulp stops fermenting, it must be passed through cheesecloth to obtain the wort. In principle, this is the first filtration of wine, but if this procedure is performed inaccurately, then again, suspensions will appear in the drink.

Note! We have already mentioned the tartar stone earlier. Who does not know, this is sour salt that forms on the walls of containers during the winemaking process. This salt includes potassium tatrate and potassium hydrotatrate.

By the way, namely tartaric acid is produced from tartar, it is also used in cooking as a baking powder... This stone can precipitate in the event of:

• lowering the temperature (the optimal indicator is 20 degrees Celsius);
• mechanical stress;
• increasing alcoholism.

And when this happens, its compounds pull along with them dyes, yeast residues, iron salts and other impurities found in the drink. And if the wine is of low strength, then the risk of the formation of a cloudy product increases significantly. The problem can be solved by adding sugar - this will lead to an activation of the enzymatic reaction, an increase in strength and quality. In this case, the suspensions themselves will not form so intensively.

How does bentonite work?

When used for wine or mash, this mineral increases the sedimentation rate of turbid particles, eliminates microorganisms, absorbs oxidizing enzymes, and significantly reduces the amount of protein and other third-party substances. It is mainly used to clarify wines. The clarification process is based on the tandem of two processes - adsorption and flocculation turbid particles; the stabilization process consists in the adsorption of protein impurities, polysaccharides, condensed phenols and other compounds that react with each other and precipitate in the case of prolonged storage.

Bentonite "clings" all these substances and captures to the bottom. But, what is characteristic, oxidases remain active at the same time, therefore, if the sediment is cloudy, the mineral residues, together with the enzymes "fixed" on them, will rise to the surface layers, react with air, and the wort will begin to absorb oxygen again. In other words, immediately after clarification, you must immediately remove the wine from the sediment.

Note! Wine concrete is especially important in years of intense decay of grapes, when the must contains a large amount of oxidases.

Instructions for the use of wine bentonite from our partner - bentovin.ru

So, the unique properties of the mineral, combined with its harmlessness and neutrality, made it an ideal candidate for our case. In addition to high-quality raw materials and yeast, when preparing the mash, competent clarification should also be carried out. And the use of bentonite for these purposes will not only save time, but also give the drink nice view and will also improve the quality of its composition. Although the method has a drawback: at the end of the process, up to 10 percent of the product can be lost in the sludge.

Having familiarized yourself with the theoretical material, you can proceed directly to practice. You should start by preparing the mineral itself.

Stage 1. Preparing bentonite

Let's make a reservation right away that any perfect recipe in this case, simply not. You can successfully use 3 grams / 1 liter of bentonite for wine 20 times, but for the 21st time the mineral may not work and its amount will have to be increased. Therefore, before starting the process, you can make a trial clarification of a small amount of wort. Although often 2-3 grams / 1 liter is sufficient.

If the volume exceeds 20 liters, then increase the amount of bentonite by about one and a half times. Having decided on this, pour the required amount of bentonite with hot water until a 20% aqueous solution is obtained and mix it thoroughly. After 30 minutes, stir again and let the solution swell for several hours. The result should be a kind of gel. If the proportions were respected correctly, then the consistency will resemble heavy cream.

Video - Experiments with Bentonite Concentration

Stage 2. Preparing the wort

We continue to talk about how cleaning is done. Remember the main thing: if the yeast "works", then the precipitate will not fall out! The simplest and fastest method of preparation, without fermenting the wort, is heating up to 50 degrees, at which the yeast will simply die. However, if everything was cooked correctly, then the yeast should go into hibernation when the sugars run out, as a result of which it precipitated.

The temperature should be room temperature. And, perhaps most importantly: before clarification, drain the fermented liquid from the yeast sediment.

Stage 3. We carry out clarification

Upon completion of the preparatory measures, pour the bentonite suspension into the wort and mix everything thoroughly. If the volumes are large (more than 20 liters), then during the first 24 hours, stirring should be carried out 2-3 times. After that, the wort should remain at room temperature for 24 hours.

It is also worth noting that lightening is often of two types.

1. Slow, smooth- within 24 hours.
2. Fast(the precipitate falls out, but the turbidity does not disappear - everything looks the same), followed by daily sedimentation of the suspension.

If you have time, shake the container again in a day and leave it for the same amount of time. Then drain the contents from the sediment. That's all, for a more detailed acquaintance with the issue, we recommend watching the thematic video below. Good luck!

Video - Application of wine bentonite

The material is provided by the site http://bentovin.ru/. A unique store of rare goods for home brewing.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS.

BENTONITE is an aluminosilicate with a swelling crystal lattice based on montmorillonite. It does not have a negative effect on the physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics of the processed drinks.

PURPOSE.

Clarification and stabilization of grape and fruit juices;

Wort processing in order to clarify it, remove proteins, oxidative enzymes;

Processing of grape and fruit-berry wine materials for the purpose of its clarification and stabilization.

APPLICATION.

BENTONIT is used both independently and with the use of other auxiliary substances used in processing in order to clarify and stabilize wine materials.

Doses of BENTONNIT are selected in laboratory conditions according to the results of trial processing.

BENTONITE PREPARATION.

In the laboratory, in a concentration of 5 to 20% (as is customary at a particular winery). Weigh 20g. bentonite, placed in a 250 ml conical flask, pour tap water up to 200 ml (in the case of preparing a 10% suspension) and heat on an electric stove at a moderate heating rate with continuous stirring to 50-60 ° C, then add 1 g., pre-weighed, calcined (Na2CO3), soda and with stirring, heated to boiling, set aside the flask for 2-3 minutes, bring it to a boil again and set aside. After natural cooling, the suspension is ready for use. Instead of an electric stove, heating can be carried out in a water bath, while the suspension does not need to be constantly stirred to avoid burning it, but can be stirred periodically, while the temperature of the suspension is brought to 95-100 ° C and held for 15-20 minutes.

In production, in the form of a 20% aqueous suspension. The required amount of bentonite is poured with cold water in order to obtain a suspension of the required concentration. Mix, add 5% soda ash (Na2CO3) to the mass of air-dry bentonite (for 20 kg of bentonite 1 kg of soda ash), heat with stirring to 95 - 100 0С. After cooling, the suspension is ready for use.

It is possible to prepare the slurry at a lower temperature, but in this case the preparation time will increase. The higher the temperature of the slurry, the faster it is prepared.

You can prepare the suspension in two steps: by heating to 50 ° C and after 15 hours reheating to 70-80 ° C.

If it is impossible to heat the suspension during its preparation, bentonite can be added to hot (90-95 ° C) water with stirring, after obtaining a uniform suspension, add soda ash. After further stirring for 15-20 minutes and cooling, the suspension is ready for use.

It is also possible to prepare the slurry without heating by tasking the required amount of water and then tasking the soda ash. In this case, the suspension must be stirred periodically -4-5 times a day in a bentonite cooker. To speed up the process of preparing the suspension, it can be mixed more intensively (by circulation “towards itself”) by a piston pump with a nozzle narrowed on the discharge hose or mixed intensively in another way. Depending on the intensity of stirring, the time for preparing the suspension without heating it can range from 10 minutes to 36-48 hours.

BENEFITS.

1. Possibility of reducing the amount of glue deposits in the case of processing:

Easy-glue wine materials, by adding less (3%) soda ash.

Wort in the production of white dry and champagne wine materials by excluding the addition of soda ash when preparing a suspension of bentonite or adding no more than 2% This results in a denser sediment, removes proteins and increases the yield of the clarified part of the wort by 15-20%. When using well-swelling bentonites, it is not possible to achieve a decrease in the amount of precipitation.

2. More convenient preparation and use in production, since 20% bentonite suspension is quite mobile and easily mixes with wine without forming lumps, increasing the degree of clarification and stabilization of products at lower doses than well-swelling bentonites.

3. Lower cost and lower doses with similar or better technological parameters, which increases the economic efficiency of the proposed bentonite by 2-4 times.

4. The possibility of using, if necessary, (for example, to reduce the dilution of the sugar conditions), a more concentrated suspension of bentonite.

5. Consultation of the supplier on all issues related to the use of the supplied bentonite, up to comparative tests in laboratory and, if necessary, in production conditions.

DELIVERY AND STORAGE.

BENTONNITE IS SUPPLIED in polypropylene bags and must be stored in a dry, odor-free room.

ANSWERS TO POSSIBLE QUESTIONS.

Bentonite is produced according to TU U “Bentonite for the Wine Industry,” which takes into account all the basic requirements for the quality of bentonite, including hygienic ones. Its quality is controlled by the manufacturer and supplier.

All indicators affecting the quality of wines - chemical resistance, organoleptic properties, gluing ability - have been studied in laboratory and production conditions and have been used for a long time at wineries in the production of berry, grape and champagne wines.

Bentonite binds chemically with soda ash and does not reduce the titratable acidity of wines.

Soda ash does not add calcium to wine as its formula is Na2CO3.

The offered bentonite, taking into account all indicators, is superior to the bentonites available on the market. The origin and preparation technology of some imported bentonites is unknown. It is possible that they have additives that are incompatible with food.

Perlite filter powder.

A domestic perlite filter powder and the technology of its application on domestic and imported filters are proposed.

Filter powders have many advantages over filter sheets:

Lower cost (two or more times);

Possibility of high-quality filtration of almost any wine;

The ability to control the quality of clarification during the filtration process;

Application for filtration purposes not only of special expensive filters, but also the use of filter presses made in anticorrosive design, designed for filtering yeast and thick sediments. By installing belting cloth in these filters and using centrifugal pumps available at wineries, it is possible to filter wine materials with high productivity. Washing of filters can be organized without unclamping the filter plates. In this case, the subsequent filtration cycle is carried out after 30-40 minutes.

With proper use of filtering powders, they can be used in all operations requiring filtration, except for serving wines for bottling;

Use when filtering wort, yeast and glue sediments.

Perlite filtering powders produced in Ukraine are quite competitive. When selecting the optimal brand you can significantly reduce costs on the filtration process .

Making homemade moonshine always starts with mash. The taste of the future product largely depends on the quality of this drink. Therefore, you need to pay due attention to its preparation. One of important points of this process, the clarification of the wash is recognized. This is an essential step to prevent the yeast from burning. As a result, moonshine is tastier, and there are no unpleasant smells and tastes.

There are many methods for cleaning the mash. Someone resorts to the help of cold, others use gelatin. In today's article, we will talk about how to use bentonite to clarify the mash.

general information

Bentonite is a finely porous clay that has long been used in winemaking. This natural substance helps to lighten home alcohol, significantly improving its taste. Bentonite is also an adsorbent and absorbs metal ions. They are always present in moonshine. A mash distillation apparatus cannot be imagined without steel parts.

In nature, white clay occurs in shallow soil layers. It contains a large amount of trace elements and mineral salts. This material is even used to treat bone pathologies. With its help, they carry out health procedures for the skin, eliminate pain in inflammatory processes. Powdered bentonite is a type of white clay. It is it that is usually used for the production of long-aging wines. We will tell you how to use bentonite to clarify the mash just below.

Where can I buy it?

You can buy a ready-made and pre-refined powder in wine shops. The cost of 100 g varies between 250-300 rubles. If there are no such points of sale in your city, you need to look on the Internet.

However, it is much easier to buy an ordinary one. Do not be afraid, because it is based on It perfectly absorbs not only moisture, but also the smell. It is recommended to choose such packages where there is no inscription about aromatic additives. Otherwise, the taste of moonshine will be unpleasant. The fillers for cat litter we are interested in are produced only in Russia. Import suppliers use silica gel and other additives in the production of this product.

If the options presented above are not suitable for some reason, you should go the third way. You can buy bentonite to clarify the mash at the pharmacy. In its pure form, it does not go on sale. You need to stop your choice on cosmetic clay. It also contains the necessary powder. However, you should study the composition of the product in advance and make sure that there are no additional flavors.

How much bentonite is needed to clarify the mash? If you don't have a cat at home, you can buy the smallest pack of litter box. 1 liter of mash requires only 2-3 g of bentonite. This is about half a teaspoon. For 10 liters of drink, you will need about 20 g of powder. This corresponds to the volume of a full tablespoon. When clarifying a large amount of mash, starting from 10 liters, the portion of the substance should be increased to 5 g per liter.

Bentonite preparation

The bentonite preparation process consists of several stages.

1. First, the material must be broken into small pieces, and then crushed into crumbs. The resulting raw materials are sent to the oven for 45 minutes. In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature regime. Otherwise, the result will not live up to expectations. To dry bentonite, set the temperature to 120 degrees.
2. After that, the pieces of clay should be ground again to a powder state. To do this, you can use a regular kitchen blender or a drill with a special attachment.
3. Bentonite is almost ready for. Now you need to prepare a solution from it. To do this, a liter of water is heated in a saucepan and the powder is poured into it. The mixture must be stirred periodically so that no lumps form in it. The entire process usually takes less than five minutes.
4. At the final stage, the solution should be infused. After that, it is thoroughly mixed again. The consistency of the resulting product should resemble fatty kefir.

In fact, the whole process takes little time.

If the powder sticks together ...

To prevent lumps from forming in the solution at the preparatory stage, experienced winemakers advise to cook it like semolina. Powder should be introduced into heated water gradually, preferably in a thin stream. In this case, it is recommended to constantly stir the solution with a stick. You can also artificially create a kind of whirlpool in the container. To do this, unscrew the pan.

If, after these tips, lumps still formed, you should not despair. However, such bentonite is not suitable for clarifying the wash. It must be passed through a blender again or use a drill with a special attachment.

Preparing the mash

Before starting cleaning, you must make sure that the drink is completely fermented. Depending on the quality of the components and the environment, this process can take up to two weeks. The readiness of the mash for further processing is determined by its appearance, the characteristic smell of alcohol, and its sour taste. In addition, there should be no carbon dioxide bubbles on the surface of the liquid.

Experienced winemakers recommend using a sugar meter to be 100% sure that the product is ready for clarification. For this purpose, take about 1.5 liters of the drink, and then filter through cheesecloth. Braga is poured into a transparent container with a wide neck. For this, the usual three-liter can, which is in every home. Then the sugar meter is released into the solution and its readings are recorded. It is necessary to wait until the device is installed in one position.

If the sugar content does not exceed 2%, you can start clarifying the mash with bentonite. The instructions below describe this process in detail. Before adding the powder solution, it is recommended to drain the fermented wort through a thin hose and warm it up slightly.

Drink purification technology

Bentonite for clarification of the wash must be thoroughly shaken in order to raise the settled clay particles. The same procedure should be repeated with the homemade beverage container to form a funnel-like appearance on its surface. This can be done with a long spoon or spatula. After that, a bentonite solution is quickly poured into the center of the funnel. High-speed manipulation helps to instantly distribute the clay powder throughout the entire volume of the drink. Sometimes mash is prepared in a container with a narrow neck. In this case, it is recommended to simply pour in the bentonite solution. Then close the neck with a stopper and shake the drink.

The precipitation rate can vary from 15 minutes to several days. It all depends on external factors and the quality of the raw materials themselves. Sediment is most likely to form in fully fermented mash. At the next stage, it is necessary to very carefully collect the clarified drink and pour into another container. During this procedure, it is important not to disturb the formed sediment. For collection and overflow of alcohol, it is recommended to use a regular hose or a siphon specially designed for this purpose.

It should be noted that the leftover yeast and bentonite sludge must not be poured down the drain. Clay can tightly clog pipes and can be difficult to unclog. What to do in this case? Leftover food can be placed in a tight bag or plastic container and then thrown into the trash can.

Bentonite for clarifying mash: advantages and disadvantages

Bentonite is a clayey material with a spongy structure. It is absolutely harmless to the body, non-toxic and neutral towards alcohol compounds. The listed properties make it an ideal tool for cleaning mash.

Among other advantages of this substance, winemakers note the absence of foreign odors in the finished product. In addition, when using bentonite, the time required to prepare the wort for distillation is significantly reduced.

There are practically no drawbacks to this method of lightening the mash. Its only drawback is a decrease in the volume of the drink due to the settling of a dense sediment by about 10%.

To make the resulting product delight with its taste, pay attention to the following tips:

1. Bentonite must be perfectly clean and odorless. Flavored additives often spoil the taste of a home-made beverage.
2. It is necessary to clarify the wash with bentonite according to the instructions. The proportions recommended in our article will help you achieve the desired effect from the drink.
3. Do not overdo the product, otherwise it will acquire a sour tint.
4. Before starting the clarification procedure, you need to make sure that the drink has passed the fermentation stage to the end. If the distillation process is started earlier, there will be less liquid at the outlet, and the sugar will partially disappear.