Content
It is difficult to imagine a festive table without strong cognac. In addition, this drink can be prepared independently at home. In this article we will see how to make cognac from homemade chacha. If anyone doesn’t know, chacha is an alcoholic drink made from juices. They are usually left after pressing the juice for homemade wine. It’s very convenient, because you can prepare two drinks at once - wine and wine spirit. In this way, you can make maximum use of raw materials and obtain a large amount of alcohol. Let's get down to business.
Preparing chacha
To make good cognac, you need to prepare chacha correctly. Suitable for this Isabella grapes, you can also take Kanich. The berries are thoroughly crushed to release a large amount of juice. Experienced winemakers do not recommend using juicers and other kitchen appliances for this. This will take a lot of time, but it's worth it.
In this case, the juice is used to make wine, and the remaining pulp is set aside for chacha. There is no need to squeeze the juice out of the skins very carefully. You can determine the desired consistency in a fairly simple way. Take a certain amount of pulp into your hand and tightly clench your fist. If juice seeps through your fingers, then the consistency is normal.
To prepare chacha, special wine yeast is used. For five liters of juice, take 2.5 g of the substance. But it is better to follow the information on the packaging, as some manufacturers may make them differently. Braga should be infused for 2-4 weeks. If the water seal no longer gurgles, it means the fermentation process has stopped.
Next, they begin distillation. This process is no different from standard moonshine distillation. It is advisable to divide the drink into the head and tail parts. The first part of the drink, which makes up approximately 10% of the total volume, is the “head”. The “body” and “tail” can be connected to each other to improve taste.
Making cognac from chacha
Previously prepared chacha should brew a little more and you can proceed directly to the process of preparing chacha. To do this, the drink is kept for about a month in a cool room. The recipe for making cognac from chacha is practically no different from the standard version from vodka or moonshine.
The prepared oak bark is boiled and poured into chacha. Next, the drink is left in a cool place. This is probably the only difference in the cooking method. All other cognacs should be kept in a warm place. The infusion period is entirely up to you; the longer you can wait, the better.
How, then, does chacha cognac differ from regular cognac? It's all about the base of the drink. Grape chacha gives the drink a pleasant aroma. There is also a bitter aftertaste from the grape seed.The cognac base is the highlight of this drink.
Characteristics of chacha cognac
Cognac is not just a strong and aromatic drink. It has a large number of useful properties:
- has a positive effect on digestion and also improves appetite. For this reason, it is often used as an aperitif;
- has the ability to heal wounds inside the intestines;
- helps cure fungal diseases;
However, you should not abuse cognac. Alcohol has a positive effect on the body only when consumed in moderation. You can drink no more than a glass a day. An overdose can only worsen the disease. In addition, large amounts of alcohol have a negative effect on nails and hair.
Chacha cognac recipe
Next, let's look at a standard recipe for making cognac at home. All other cooking options have minimal differences.
To prepare alcohol using oak chips, you need to prepare the following ingredients:
- chacha – three liters of 45° drink;
- oak pegs - from 20 to 30 pieces.
The components are connected to each other and the drink is moved to a cool place for infusion. There, alcohol can be stored from 2 weeks to several decades. If the chacha is too strong, you need to dilute it with water. To do this, alcohol is poured into water, and not vice versa.
A felled oak should lie for several years under snow and rain. This is the only way to remove most of the tannins. Thanks to this, the drink will be very soft and pleasant to the taste. Fresh wood will give the alcohol a sharp taste, but at the same time a pleasant rich aroma. Each peg should be approximately 5cm long and up to 2cm wide.It is not recommended to use oak bark for these purposes. It contains too many tannins.
Invigorating “Siberian” cognac
This drink got its name because of its warming properties. This invigorating tincture is different from ordinary cognac. A great recipe for those who like to experiment.
So, first, let's prepare all the necessary ingredients:
- chacha – three liters;
- from 20 to 30 oak pegs;
- milk (cow) – 200 ml;
- a glass of pine nut shells and half a glass of the nuts themselves.
The cooking process is quite simple. The main thing is to add the ingredients in the correct order. To begin with, the prepared chacha is poured into a suitable glass container. Cow's milk is also added there. In this form, the alcohol should stand for 24 hours.
A day later, the drink is drained from the sediment. Separately prepare a decoction of oak pegs. Then it is also poured into a container with chacha. Immediately after decoction, pine nuts and shells are added to the drink. After one month, the drink can be considered ready for consumption. It is drained from the sediment and bottled.
Important Tips
If you rarely make homemade cognac from chacha or have never made it at all, then most likely you will be interested in the following facts:
- Regardless of the recipe according to which you prepare cognac from chacha, you can add just a little orange zest to the drink. This will give the drink light citrus notes. They will not be pronounced, but will leave a pleasant aftertaste. Such additives will only improve the taste of homemade cognac.
- Some people get heartburn from cognac. To avoid an unpleasant sensation, you should use recipes containing honey. This ingredient can relieve heartburn.
- Don't rush to drink cognac right away.First, you need to warm it up in your hands. This way, you can further reveal the taste and aroma of the drink.
- Cognac, unlike vodka, does not need to be drunk in one gulp. This is a noble drink with excellent taste. They drink it in small sips without eating. In addition, good cognac does not have any “fragrance” at the end.
- If you snack on cognac, then only with fruit. There are also recipes for the drink with the addition of coffee. In this case, fruits will not work.
- You can add cherry pits to any cognac recipe. This will enhance the almond aftertaste and add light cherry notes.
Conclusion
In this article, we were able to consider a recipe for chacha skate at home. We also learned how chacha cognac differs from regular cognac. As you can see, preparing a noble drink at home is not so difficult. Even if you are not a professional winemaker, making a drink from chacha and oak pegs will not be difficult. It is very important to make the chacha itself correctly. The taste of the finished alcohol depends on the base. It is suitable for any feast, holiday or just for an appetite. In suitable conditions, the noble drink can be stored for decades.
