Content
Chacha made from grape cake is a strong alcoholic drink produced at home. For it, grape pomace is taken, on the basis of which wine was previously obtained. Therefore, it is advisable to combine two processes: obtaining wine and chacha, which will allow you to prepare two drinks at once.
Features of the drink
Chacha is a traditional Georgian drink, also called grape brandy. Its preparation requires grapes and alcohol. In Georgia, cherry plum, figs or tangerines are added to chacha.
Chacha has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, relieves swelling and improves blood circulation. When consumed in reasonable doses, this drink normalizes the functioning of the digestive and cardiovascular systems.
This drink can normalize metabolism. It is taken at the first sign of a cold by adding it to tea with honey and lemon.
Chacha can be taken in its pure form, but remember that it is a very strong alcoholic drink. Therefore, it is more often used to make cocktails. Chacha can be mixed with ice and fresh fruit.
You should avoid taking chacha in case of individual intolerance, a tendency to allergic reactions, or the presence of peptic ulcers and cancer. This drink is also contraindicated for children and pregnant women.
Preparatory stage
The first step in deciding how to make chacha is preparing containers, a moonshine still and raw materials. The grape variety directly affects the taste of the resulting drink.
Tanks and equipment
For cooking chacha From grape pomace, you will need a large container in which the pomace is obtained, as well as containers for fermenting the must and a distillation apparatus. Be sure to choose glass or enamel containers. It is not recommended to use metal containers, as the wort will oxidize.
A water seal is installed on the glass container required for fermentation. You can purchase it ready-made or use a regular rubber glove. Then a puncture is made in the glove using a needle.
Selection of raw materials
Chacha is prepared from grape varieties that have high acidity. It is best to choose varieties growing in the Caucasus, Crimea or Krasnodar region.
The taste of the drink directly depends on the choice of variety:
- white varieties give a fresh aroma and slight sourness, this drink is quite light;
- dark varieties, like dried grapes, make chacha softer with a bright aroma;
- when mixing several varieties of grapes at home, the taste of the drink becomes deep and rich.
You can prepare chacha using mash, which determines the final taste and quality of the drink.At home, it is obtained from the pomace or marc of fresh grapes left after making wine.
Be sure to use fresh grapes, which are not washed before use. This allows natural yeast bacteria to remain on its surface. They ensure active fermentation of the wort.
If you use store-bought grapes, it is better to wash them. Then fermentation will require the addition of yeast and sugar. The pomace is prepared by crushing the grapes by hand.
To obtain a drink from marc, you will need a fairly large amount of it, since some of the substances from such material have already been used to make wine.
Chacha recipes
Chacha is prepared from grape pomace without the use of yeast. This method takes quite a lot of time. Using yeast, you can significantly speed up the process of obtaining a drink without compromising the aroma and taste properties.
Recipe without yeast
Fermentation of traditional Georgian chacha occurs due to wild yeast. If desired, you can add sugar to chacha, but the drink will partially lose its aroma.
To obtain chacha from grape marc, the following ingredients are taken:
- cake – 12.5 kg;
- water – 25 l;
- granulated sugar – 5 kg.
If the sugar content of the berries is approximately 20%, then about 2 liters of homemade chacha are obtained from 12.5 kg of cake. The strength of the drink will be 40 degrees. If you add 5 kg of sugar, you can increase the yield of the drink to 8 liters.
The cake produces a small amount of drink, so it is recommended to add sugar to increase it. If Isabella grapes grown in the northern regions, then adding sugar is a mandatory step. These grapes are characterized by high acidity and low glucose content.
How to prepare chacha without yeast, you can learn from the following recipe:
- I place the grape pomace in a fermentation container.
- Add water and sugar to the container. The mass is mixed manually or using a wooden stick. There should be at least 10% free space in the container. The rest of the volume comes from carbon dioxide, which is formed during the fermentation process.
- A water seal is placed on the container, after which it should be placed in the dark at a temperature of 22 to 28 degrees.
- Fermentation takes 1 to 2 months. Sometimes this process takes 3 months.
- Periodically, the grape pomace floats, so every 3 days the container is opened and stirred.
- The completion of the fermentation process is indicated by the absence of bubbles in the water seal or the glove deflating. The drink tastes bitter.
- Then the mash is drained from the residue and filtered through cheesecloth. To preserve the unique aroma, the remaining cake is suspended over the still.
- Braga is distilled without dividing into fractions. When the strength is less than 30%, the selection is completed.
- The resulting moonshine is diluted with water to 20%, after which it is distilled again.
- Ten percent of the moonshine that formed at the beginning must be poured out. It contains substances hazardous to health.
- The product is selected until the strength reaches 45%.
- Homemade drink is diluted to 40%.
- After cooking, you need to place it in a cool, dark place in a sealed container. After 3 days, the taste of chacha will stabilize.
Recipe with added yeast
The yeast method allows you to speed up the fermentation process of wort up to 10 days. The recipe with the addition of yeast preserves the taste and aroma of the drink.
For the recipe for chacha from squeezes, you will need the following components:
- grape pomace – 5 l;
- granulated sugar – 2.5 kg;
- yeast (50 g dry or 250 g pressed);
- water – 15 l.
The recipe for chacha from grape pomace includes the following steps:
- The required amount of dry or compressed yeast must be diluted according to the instructions.
- The pomace is placed in a container where sugar and prepared yeast are added.
- The contents of the container are filled with warm water at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. Hot water is not used because it kills the yeast.
- Mix the ingredients well, after which you should put a water seal or glove on the container. The container is placed in a dark place with a constant temperature of no more than 30 degrees.
- Every two days the container must be opened and its contents mixed.
- When fermentation is complete (the water seal stops working or the glove settles), the drink will taste bitter and lighter in color.
- The mash is drained from the sediment and filtered using gauze.
- The distillation cube is filled with liquid and the moonshine is taken until the strength drops to 30%.
- Before re-distillation, the mash is diluted to 20% with water.
- About 10% of the drink obtained initially needs to be eliminated. It contains harmful substances.
- When making chacha, you need to select moonshine until its strength is 40%.
- The resulting drink must be diluted to 40 degrees. The final taste of chacha is formed after it is kept for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Chacha is a strong Georgian drink containing alcohol. It is prepared from the grape pomace that remains as a result of winemaking. The final taste is directly affected by the grape variety. Its dark varieties make the drink richer.
Traditionally, chacha is made without adding sugar or yeast.However, these components will help reduce acidity, speed up the preparation process and the final amount of the drink. To carry out the procedure, you will need fermentation tanks and a distillation apparatus.
During the second distillation of chacha, the alcohol became cloudy, why?