Wine bread. What is the difference between vodka and bread wine? Bread wine at home

Many modern Russians, and even more so foreigners, do not say anything about the word "semihar". That is why the name of this revived drink is taken for a marketing move, because every six months on the shelves there are some new strong spirits. In fact, polugar is a forgotten ancestor of Russian alcohol, it is nothing more than a grain wine that has been produced in Russia much earlier than the vodka we know.

A bit of history

Vodka is a mixture of alcohol and purified water. In Russia it appeared only in the late nineteenth century. What was used before in Russia? The bread wine was the main strong drink. They got it from ordinary distillation cubes, as, however, the whole world is still doing it. The difference was only in raw materials.

Everyone drives a drink from what is rich. In France, Italy, Spain it is grapes, in Germany wheat is more often used, in England - barley. Russia has always been rich in rye, so they made of it bread wine. The manufacturing process did not differ much from the usual brewing or the production of "oak in the fortress" whiskey in Scotland. If you believe the first mention, the Scotch whiskey was already in 1494. A certain abbot sent King Jacob a request that he singled out barley for the production of a strong drink, then he was called "water of life" - "aqua vita".

In Russia, the first strong spirits were mentioned in the book of Poles Matvey Mihovsky in 1517. He describes that in Muscovy, the inhabitants, distilling honey and cereals, produce a "burning liquid", which warms them in severe frosts. Russians themselves called this liquid bread wine (because of the way of cooking).

What was called vodka?

Vodka called purified in several stages of bread wine, which was added various spices and herbs. From the modern point of view it is a tincture. And there were several of its varieties.

Sometimes vodka was without additives, just the wine was distilled, cleaned additionally in a vodka cube. This drink was very expensive, only wealthy people drank, they knew the bread of wine. Vodka was only 5% of all alcoholic beverages in the country. The processes of distilling and vodka from wine at that time were taxed differently, these were two completely different processes.

Only in 1936 the vodka in Russia began to have a different composition. It became an ordinary mixture of rectified alcohol with purified water. On all bottles with a strength of 40%, the label "Vodka" was stamped.

Bread wine is a semi-caraway

For a long time, polugar was in Russia the most high-quality and popular alcoholic beverage. The wine is quite strong - 38.5%, has a unique rye taste. Up until 1895, polugar was considered a symbol of the quality of alcoholic beverages, because its fortress was strictly controlled.

Nicholas I in 1842 was even issued a decree, according to which polugar was tested in a special way, that is, annealing. How did this happen? The usual grain bread could have any strength from 38 to 50 degrees, while the semi-grave strictly held 38.5%. At that time there were no alcoholometers yet.

The regulated procedure was as follows: the wine was poured into a copper annealer and set on fire by a special technology. Polugar should have burned exactly half. Hence its name - semi-wine wine. Poured two "stklyanki" burned out and merged into one "stljanka." That was the norm. Later, when there were spirtometers, it was possible to find out how many degrees in a half-story, it turned out 38-39, but not 40.

Where did the 40 degrees come from?

Many are convinced that Mendeleev began to raise alcohol to a point of forty degrees. In fact, this innovation was introduced by the Minister of Finance of that time, Reitern. This was done to facilitate the work of officials. After the introduction of excise taxes in 1863, they excruciatingly deduced tax amounts, multiplying by 38. The minister ordered to consider the fortress of bread wine at 40 degrees. Then already with might and main used spirtometers and technology of "burning out" became irrelevant.

In 1895 in Russia, after the introduction of the state monopoly on ethyl rectified alcohol, the production of a half-pound was banned. Vodka began to be produced. Gradually, the recipe for bread wine was Forgotten and only recently the Russian market began to offer this ancient unique drink.

Types of half-and-half

Initially, only three types of half a heap entered the modern Russian market: malt, wheat and rye. Now in the production of new varieties: "garlic-pepper", "rye-wheat", "honey-pepper". These new beverages are slightly cheaper, as they do not pass the filtration with egg white. For the broad masses, they are quite accessible. Classic polugar is much more expensive and for the first acquaintance new options are quite suitable.

What is the difference between a semigar and vodka

For vodka is taken pure alcohol, which is made in the rectification columns. Chemically it is absolutely pure, has no unnecessary smells and tastes. To make a half-wagon, use bread bread. Traditional distillation does not take away the taste of raw materials. Polugar has a rich, bright flavor of bread. The taste of the drink is incomparable. To some extent, it can only be compared with Scotch whiskey. The half-gruel is not drinking the way vodka is. If you prefer to drink vodka with a volley, then you need to try the half-pie with small sips, so you can better feel the bright, unique taste and aroma of the drink.

Bread wine, recipe. Main stages

A rye distillate is needed to make a half-pound. For the berg, take the best rye, grind it large and fill it with pure spring water. Water does not require additional filtration.

After the breg is ripe, it will be ready for distillation, you should set up special distillation copper cubes. Observing the technology, the milky drink is distilled, if required, in several stages. After that, polugar is cleaned using birch charcoal or egg whites. As a result, you should get a clear strong alcoholic beverage.

The resulting half-and-half has nothing to do with modern vodka. It is not necessary to cool it strongly, at room temperature bread taste is better felt.

Polugar from flour

The recipe for bread wine (half-bread) includes the following components:

• 2 kg of flour;
• 8 liters of water;
• 100 g of yeast;
• 100 g of sugar.

1. Rye or wheat flour is well dissolved in warm water. Stir thoroughly so that there are no lumps, and a liquid, homogeneous mass is obtained. Warm the resulting mass (leaven) over low heat, cook for about an hour, stirring constantly, the temperature should not exceed 70 degrees. The wort will gradually acquire a light brown hue.
2. Remove from heat, allow to cool the leaven to room temperature. Add the necessary amount of yeast and sugar, stir well, leave to ferment.
3. After three days, the fourth, you can surpass the ready-made braga. Sediment is better to merge, but if there is a re-distillation, then you can leave it.
4. If you strictly follow the recipe, then after the first distillation you get two liters of strong moonshine. It must be diluted 1: 1 with water and run a second time on the distiller.
5. To get the perfect drink, you can produce a third distillation. Purification is carried out with the help of egg white or charcoal. Some use regular activated charcoal from the medicine chest.
6. The bread wine obtained in this way at home (semihard) has a strength of 42 to 45 degrees. With all this, the drink is easy to drink, has a mild bread taste. For appetizers Russian feast recommends meat, fish dishes, various pickles.

Bread wine without yeast (moonshine)

In Russia, for a long time, a strong drink, prepared on the basis of rye, wheat, oats, barley with the addition of wild yeast, was popular. Now alcoholic home beverages No longer enjoy such a wide popularity, but for fans of their own natural product this recipe will be welcome.

Bread moonshine has a special taste, which is not inherent in other similar beverages. It has a slightly perceptible grain flavor, it needs to be cooled, a minimum strength of 32 degrees. If rye is used as raw material, the taste of moonshine turns out to be rich, tart, from the wheat sourdough the drink turns out to be softer. Classic drink does not provide for the addition of extra spices (cinnamon, anise and others).

Stages of preparation

Grow wild yeast. Wash 4 kg of wheat in running water, cover it in a 25-liter container. Pour clean water higher by 2 cm. Add 800 g of sugar and mix thoroughly. Leave in a dark place for 5 days. Feeling a sour smell, you will understand that the yeast is ready.

Preparation of syrup. In warm water (15 liters) stir 3 kg of sugar. Pour the syrup into a container of wheat. Cover tightly with a lid. Leave to ferment for 6 days. The temperature should keep from 22 to 28 degrees.

Distillation. Bug carefully drained without sediment. Overtake on a brewing machine. It should be 3 liters of bread moonshine. Its fortress reaches 79 degrees. Better dilute the drink with clean water to 45-50 degrees.

Cleaning. Manganese is used to purify the drink from fusel oil . Add a few crystals to the bottle. A few days later black flakes will fall on the bottom. After that you need to filter moonshine. In the watering can lay several layers of gauze, laying it with cotton wool, then pounded coal. On the topmost layer you need to pour 1 teaspoon of soda and sugar. A small trickle to let the drink through the watering can. Change the filter after every three liters. In order to improve the taste, filtered moonshine should be infused for 3-5 days.