What to Put Wine in If You Don't Have a Bottle. kakhranitedy.ru

Is it possible to make wine in plastic containers?

Despite numerous discussions, there is essentially nothing to argue about, since plastic is completely unsuitable for fermenting wine, or any other alcoholic drink. This material has several obvious disadvantages, which decide its fate in the matter of winemaking. What these shortcomings are - we will describe in more detail below.

So, let's say you have a plastic container and you want to infuse homemade wine in it, but somewhere before you heard or read that pouring wine into plastic bottles (bottles, containers, cans) is not the best idea. But why is that?

Plastic changes the taste and smell of wine . This is due to the absorbent ability of plastic to absorb some components of the wine drink. As a result - taste and aroma changes, and, as you guessed, not for the better.
Homemade wine absorbs the smell of plastic . Wine in a plastic canister (container, carboy or bottle) very often has a “plastic” taste. The thing is that wine, like any alcoholic drink, is a fairly active chemical medium, so it easily reacts with plastic components. Under the influence of this reaction, the noble taste easily changes, acquiring “plastic” notes.
Plastic allows gases to pass through . This property has an extremely negative effect on the quality of wine. Due to the fact that oxygen enters the drink through plastic, and it is dangerous for wine in large quantities, many components of the drink are oxidized, and turns the refined delicate taste into sourness, i.e. in vinegar.

Selecting a fermentation tank for wine, mash and beer

The preparation of alcoholic beverages is impossible without special containers in which fermentation takes place. In many ways, the taste depends on the container, so you need to approach the choice responsibly. We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of different types of fermentation vessels.

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When choosing a suitable container, the home distiller takes into account three important parameters: material, volume and tightness.

1. Material. The fermentation container should not be metal, since metal oxidizes when in contact with the wort and spoils the drink. For the same reason, aluminum milk cans are not suitable; they can only be used as a distillation cube, since during distillation the contact time between aluminum and mash is insignificant.

The best options are glass bottles, plastic drinking water bottles and special food-grade plastic barrels. It is also possible to use stainless steel containers and wooden barrels.

The advantages of glass containers are the chemical neutrality of the material (does not come into contact with alcohol and other substances) and transparency - you can see through the walls what is happening with the wort at the moment. The disadvantages of glass containers are that they are very fragile, heavy and inconvenient if they are large, and are exposed to direct sunlight. Despite this, glass is the best choice for a home fermentation vessel.

To protect from direct sunlight, the glass bottle is wrapped or covered

Food-grade plastic containers are neutral to the acidic environment of the wort, do not come into contact with alcohol (if the strength is below 15%), are cheap, durable and relatively light, and bottles for drinking water are also transparent. Disadvantage - bad plastic releases harmful substances into the mash, which can be harmful to health and change the taste and smell of the drink. More and more special plastic containers for fermentation are appearing on sale, which are gradually conquering the market. Beginner distillers often put mash and wine in bottles for drinking water; if the quality of the material is normal, no problems arise.

Attention! Storing alcohol in plastic is not recommended (deterioration of organoleptic properties is possible), and if the strength of the drink is above 15%, it is generally prohibited.

Stainless steel containers are reliable, durable, neutral to alcohol and acids in the wort, but bulky, heavy, expensive and opaque. Typically this material is used for industrial fermentation tanks or by experienced distillers who are willing to invest in equipment.

Wooden barrels and kegs are well suited for wine fermentation - they maintain temperature and protect the wort from sunlight. The disadvantage of wooden barrels is their high price and the fact that they have to be thoroughly cleaned after each cooking cycle.

It is better to store drinks in barrels rather than ferment them

2. Volume. Typically, glass bottles have a volume of 10 or 20 liters, and plastic bottles - 6-60 liters. Wooden barrels come in sizes of 10, 20, 30 or more liters. When choosing a container for fermentation, you need to remember that the mash or wine should not be more than 75% of the volume, otherwise there may be problems with foam and carbon dioxide removal.

3. Tightness. The container must be intact, without cracks or chips. A small exception is made only for wooden barrels; they slightly let air through the pores, but this does not affect the quality of the finished drink.

When purchasing, it is advisable to choose a container that has a water seal built into the neck or lid or at least has a place to install it, then you won’t have to drill, seal or glue anything.

Food-grade plastic containers are neutral to the acidic environment of the wort, do not come into contact with alcohol (if the strength is below 15%), are cheap, durable and relatively light, and bottles for drinking water are also transparent. Disadvantage - bad plastic releases harmful substances into the mash, which can be harmful to health and change the taste and smell of the drink. More and more special plastic containers for fermentation are appearing on sale, which are gradually conquering the market. Beginner distillers often put mash and wine in bottles for drinking water; if the quality of the material is normal, no problems arise.

Is it possible to make wine in plastic containers from “food grade” polymers?

This is another question that often misleads winemakers. It is generally accepted that if a container for dispensing homemade wine is made of specialized plastic, then it does not cause the harm to the drink that we described above.

However, recent research by a French scientist has proven the opposite. The purpose of the study was to check whether high-quality “food grade” plastic affects the taste characteristics of wine or not.

As a result of observations, it was found that the plastic did not react with the drink, but still affected the taste. Some elements of the wine were absorbed by the plastic and modified, and some were even able to pass through the plastic packaging.

Is it possible to make herbal tincture with vodka in a plastic container (bottle)?

Or is it necessary to use glass?

Definitely NO. Herbal tincture with vodka can only be made in a dark glass container and left for two months and stored in a dark place.

Of course, it is better in glass, since any plastic is not only porous and does not provide a sealed container, but it is also dissolved by such a strong solvent. like ethyl alcohol, no matter how they convince you of the harmlessness of plastic.

Or is it necessary to use glass?

Storage

To preserve a natural product longer, you need to take into account several nuances:

Temperature

How to store honey in honeycombs

The beneficial properties of honey remain for a long time, provided that it is stored correctly. What kind of container can be used to store this useful product has already been discussed. Now you need to decide where it should be stored, and what air temperature is most favorable for this. For better preservation of honey, a temperature of -6°C to 20°C is required. In the room it is, of course, above 20°C, therefore, it is not recommended to keep this product in the apartment for a long time (more than one year). A cellar or cool basement is just the thing. At temperatures above 35°C, vitamins begin to disappear from honey; if it is heated even more, enzymes disintegrate and bactericidal properties disappear. The product is no longer medicinal, but is simply a delicacy.

Note! At low temperatures (below -20°C) it hardens, but this is not a problem, since it retains all its medicinal properties.

Humidity

Honey, like other beekeeping products, absorbs moisture very well. With high humidity, this nectar can ferment. Therefore, its storage requires hermetically sealed containers.

Important! If possible, when storing honey, it is necessary to ensure a constant temperature, otherwise crystallization (a natural process) will occur unevenly.

Smells

Just like water, honey quickly absorbs odors. Therefore, it should be kept away from products such as:

fuels and lubricants;
toxic substances;
paints and varnishes;
polymer products.

Even a tightly closed container will not prevent these odors from penetrating into the honey.

Honey in a plastic container

Illumination

Direct sunlight kills the antimicrobial properties of honey, so it should be kept in a dark place.

Important! If honey darkens, thickens, or crystallizes during storage, these are normal phenomena. Moreover, if it suddenly does not thicken, it means there are no healing properties in it, which means a counterfeit product was purchased.

How to store opened vodka

It is immediately necessary to clarify that storing vodka for a long time after opening is not recommended. Even a carefully screwed bottle will no longer be airtight, so the vodka may become saturated with foreign odors, which will negatively affect its taste.

It is advisable to store opened vodka away from products that have a strong or pronounced odor to prevent distortion of the taste of the drink itself. The first place to store an open bottle is the bar compartment in the closet, where there are no foreign products. In most cases, it is not recommended to store an open bottle for more than three months. After opening, to ensure maximum shelf life, the bottle should be tightly capped as soon as possible.

Store opened vodka in a bar or closet where there are no foreign odors. Shelf life 3 months.

The remaining requirements, where to store and how to store an open bottle of vodka, are identical to the general conditions given above.

Secrets of proper storage of wine in bottles

Bottled wine is stored under certain conditions. Please note the following:

Temperature. For storing table wines – 5-8°C. Fortified ones can also be stored at 13-15°C. Outside these intervals, it will ripen too quickly or, conversely, very slowly. At subzero temperatures, the product freezes and spoils.
Ventilation and humidity. The room should have good air circulation and humidity 70-80%. If higher, mold is likely to appear. The presence of any foreign odors is not allowed.
Light. Any light, both solar and electric, is contraindicated for wine, otherwise it will acquire a sour taste. White wines react especially poorly to it.
Peace. Shaking, vibration, shock, or simply a sudden change in the position of the bottle is strictly prohibited. Dust, dirt and cobwebs are not wiped off it. Place vertically only 2-3 hours before use to allow any sediment to settle.
Position. Store bottles on their sides so that the inside of the cork is moist. Otherwise, it will dry out, shrink in diameter and the seal will be lost.
Term. The best time to drink white wines is 2-3 years after corking. Red ones can be stored for up to 10 years. Place the opened bottle in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days, tightly closing the cap. Fortified wines can last a week at room temperature.

The best thing you can think of is a wine cellar or wine cellar. Ideally, only natural stone and/or wood should be used for finishing. But such luxury is not available to everyone.

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There are also special cabinets for storing wine, equipped with climate control. Depending on the capacity and set of other parameters, you can choose one that is quite affordable.

Another option is a stand. This solution is suitable for small living areas. A correctly selected stand is not only functional, but will also become a wonderful “highlight” in the interior.

Is it possible to store vodka in plastic containers?

Quite often the question of whether it is possible to store vodka in plastic containers is discussed. According to the results of recent studies, alcohol reacts quite actively with the plastic from which bottles are made, which leads to the accumulation of harmful substances in vodka and reduces its shelf life. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it is possible to store vodka in plastic bottles will be negative.

The shelf life of vodka without additives is by and large unlimited, but taking into account production technology that is not always strictly followed, it is better to consume this product within three years from the date of bottling.

A prerequisite is to store vodka in a glass bottle. When storing a drink in a plastic container, after a short time, as a result of a chemical reaction, sediment forms and the taste is distorted. A glass bottle is the best option for storing vodka due to the fact that this material does not react with alcohol.

The conditions for storing vodka do not contain any special requirements for either the characteristics of the place or the temperature. If you maintain a consistently low temperature at room temperature, the period for which vodka can be stored will be quite long.

It is undesirable to store an open bottle for a long time due to the oxidation of alcohol by oxygen entering the bottle, as well as due to the weathering of ethanol and the loss of strength of the drink. Once opened, the product must be consumed within a period of up to three months.

Regarding whether it is possible to store vodka in plastic bottles, the answer is definitely negative. Due to the active reaction of alcohol with the plastic from which the bottle is made, the period for which vodka can be stored in a plastic container until the vodka is imbued with harmful substances will be insignificant.

Thus, to preserve taste and prevent possible food poisoning, it is advisable to limit the shelf life of homemade tinctures to a period of one year.

Shelf life of young wine, what happens after it expires

Every experienced housewife knows how important it is to have a supply of homemade, homemade alcoholic drinks in the house.
Not only is it delicious, but it will also surprise and delight your guests. Homemade wine will decorate any holiday table with its rich aroma and tart, harsh taste. As a rule, wine is prepared in the fall, during the berry harvest. If you want to make a drink in winter or spring, then frozen berries will come to the rescue. Wine made from frozen berries is in no way inferior in taste to berry wine from a fresh harvest. There are many interesting and simple recipes for such alcoholic drinks, which will not be difficult to prepare.

Homemade wine can easily be made from frozen berries.

It often happens that the berry harvest is too large, but enough jam and compotes have been prepared for the winter. In this case, housewives use the easiest way to preserve fresh berries - freezing.

Thanks to freezing, the berries will easily last until the next harvest, and they can be used for cooking compotes, preparing aromatic pastries, jellies and mousses. You shouldn’t store them for more than a year, but what to do if the berries have been in the freezer for a very long time? The easiest way out is to make berry wine at home.

To get the drink right, you need to take into account several important nuances. Firstly, you cannot mix several types of berries that have different fermentation times. For example, cherry-plum or currant-raspberry wine will turn out very sour, with an unpleasant pungent odor.

Secondly, you can add strong alcohol (vodka or alcohol) to the wine. Then the wine will turn out stronger, but more like a tincture. The best berry wine is obtained only through the process of natural fermentation.

To make wine, you need to take only one type of berry.

Delicious wine will only come from properly frozen and thawed berries. Ripe fresh berries, whole and completely dry, are frozen. The raw materials also need to be defrosted correctly by placing them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. This will allow the berries to maintain their integrity and not turn into “porridge”.

You should not buy frozen berries in the store, because they are too watery and tasteless. You need to prepare fresh berries yourself, following the freezing rules. Before you start preparing the wine, the berries are mixed with sugar and slightly heated to speed up the fermentation process.

During freezing, bacteria on the surface of the berries die. It is these microorganisms that are needed to make the fermentation process go faster.

To make real wine from frozen berries, you need to add sourdough or raisins. Otherwise, the drink will ferment for a very long time and will simply turn sour. But you shouldn’t add baker’s yeast to the drink, as this will spoil the wine.

Berries for making homemade wine should be frozen yourself.

Before you start making wine, you need to prepare everything you need: a glass bottle (volume from 3 to 20 liters), a water seal or an ordinary rubber glove with a small hole, water, sugar and thawed berries. Making wine is very simple, provided all necessary conditions are met.

These berries produce an unusually tasty wine of a dark, rich color with a characteristic grape flavor and bright aroma.

You will need properly defrosted blackcurrants (2 kg), clean, filtered water (at least 2 liters), kg of sugar and 100 g of raisins (white). Currants (using a blender) are ground with sugar in a clean and dry enamel pan and slightly heated. Then the resulting mixture is poured into the prepared bottle, dry unwashed raisins, sugar and water are added.

Mix everything thoroughly, put a glove on the neck of the bottle and leave for 3-5 days to ferment. This may take a little more time, but a glove will help you navigate the deadlines.

As soon as it is deflated, the drink is carefully drained, without raising the sediment, and bottled. The wine will mature for another six months, and then it will have to be poured into other containers, first filtered through several layers of gauze.

Homemade blackcurrant wine has a dark and very beautiful color.

The wine from this berry is very delicate and sweet, thick, light pink in color. To prepare it, just take 2.5 kg of carefully thawed currants (red), the same amount of sugar, water (3 l) and black raisins (150 g).

Mash the berries, add the remaining ingredients and heat slightly over low heat. The resulting raw material is placed in a bottle, the neck is covered with a rubber glove and placed in a dark place. After 3-4 weeks, fermentation will end, and the wine from the top of the bottle is poured into another container using a soft hose. The drink is filtered, bottled, corked and left for final aging (4-5 months).

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Cherry and black raisins

Cherries are great for making homemade wine. It must be ripe, properly frozen and thawed, and in a simple recipe, additionally add 150 grams of raisins, 2 kg of sugar and 5 liters of water. These proportions will require at least 5 kg of cherries.

The cherries and sugar are placed in a glass bottle and left to infuse.

It is very easy to prepare. Cherries (pitted) are mashed (in a blender), poured into an enamel bowl and heated. Warm raw materials are poured into a bottle, water, sugar and raisins are added at the same temperature, covered with a glove and put away.

2 weeks after the start of fermentation, the wine is drained, being careful not to touch the cloudy sediment at the bottom, filtered, bottled and stored in a cool place for a week. The wine has an incomparable cherry aroma and tart taste.

This recipe is very different from standard wine preparation.

In this case, other ingredients will be required:

3 kg strawberries (thawed);
half a liter of vodka;
sugar (at least 2 kg);
2 liters of water (preferably boiled);
10 grams of dry yeast.

First, the berries are kneaded and heated and placed in a large glass bottle. Separately prepare liquid syrup from water and sugar. It is also added to the bottle with berries. Lastly, add dry yeast, mix, cover with a water seal (or glove) and place in a dark room.

After 3-4 weeks, the wine is separated from the sediment, vodka is added to it, filtered, bottled into separate bottles and left for a month for final maturation.

A drink made from several varieties of berries (cherries, raspberries, currants and strawberries) received good reviews. The main feature is that pure medical alcohol (96 degrees strength) is added to this wine. A mixture of several types of berries (at least 3 kg) is thawed, crushed together with juice, sugar is added and heated until the granulated sugar dissolves.

To make wine, you can use several types of frozen berries at once.

Next, add water, pour into a bottle, throw in unwashed white raisins, cover with a glove and leave to ferment for 10-15 days. After which, the wine is filtered, alcohol is added and that’s it – the drink is ready.

Chokeberry

One of the most authentic wine berries, which does not require additional ingredients for fermentation. Chokeberry berries have a sufficient amount of wine yeast on the peel, but the sugar content is too low. Because of this, the fermentation process is slightly increased.

Any berries, both frozen and fresh, are suitable for making wine. As a rule, wine yeast contained on the peel is quite enough, but to completely eliminate the appearance of mold, you can add additional leaven (raisins or raspberries).

The simplest recipe includes:

chokeberry (5 kg);
liter of water;
sugar (1-1.5 kg);
raisins (50 g).

The rowan is thoroughly kneaded in an enamel bowl, a pound of sugar and raisins are poured into it and covered with a cloth. The raw material is infused for a week, stirring daily, and when a thick foam appears, it is filtered from the pulp. Pure juice is placed in a bottle, and the pulp remaining after decanting is poured with sugar, water is added and left for another week.

To prepare wine, chokeberry is well kneaded in a blender.

Meanwhile, the first portion of juice, covered with a glove, has already fermented well. Fresh rowan juice is added to it, the foam is removed, mixed and left for another 1.5-2.5 months. The finished wine is filtered again, sugar and vodka are added (optional) and allowed to ripen for six months.

The refrigerator has become a real decoration of the modern kitchen, and the bigger the better, and the modest freezer has been replaced by large freezer compartments, and many housewives began to use them for freezing berries. Gardens produce a lot of fruits in fruitful years - it is clear that they will not be used up before the new season. But is it possible to make wine from frozen berries?

Of course you can. Frozen berries retained the taste and aroma of fresh ones, and these are the main indicators when preparing homemade wine from cherries, currants, plums and other garden gifts. At home, you can prepare a drink of excellent taste and quality if you follow the technology, and it is similar for all homemade wines.

In general, wine from different types of similar raw materials is prepared in the same way, so let’s take cherry wine as an example. To prepare it you will need: 3 liters of cherry juice, 3 liters of water, 300 grams of sugar, 100 grams of dark raisins.

1. Mix cherry juice and water and heat to 35-37 degrees.

2. Dissolve 300 grams of sugar in a warm mixture and place in a glass jar.

Ingredients

Fermented ripe strawberries – 1 kg;
Hot purified water – 0.5 l;
White granulated sugar – 1 kg;
Vodka – 0.5 l.

If you are preparing homemade wine from berries that have not been sprinkled with sugar, then first you need to clear them of all leaves and rinse thoroughly under running water. You can start chopping candied strawberries right away.
We place the spoiled harvest in a suitable container, where it will be convenient for us to puree it using a kitchen blender or any other household assistant. At the same time, do not forget that for strawberries stored without sugar, the latter will certainly need to be added at the rate of 1 kg of sand per 1 kg of berries.
But we simply grind the candied fruits into a paste with a blender. You only need to add sugar if you added too little initially. However, housewives usually candied fruits according to all the rules, and such a dish no longer needs additional granulated sugar.
After we have crushed the crop that has had time to ferment, we pour it into a glass vessel with a fairly wide opening in the neck. It is important that all containers in which you prepare homemade wine are sterile, clean and dry. After this, pour the crushed strawberries well with hot water.
Cover the neck of the vessel with gauze and transfer it to a place where a consistently warm temperature is always maintained (not lower than 18 degrees). There we leave the strawberries to ferment further - for about five days.
At the end of this period, we carefully remove the foam cap on the surface of the container, after which we also carefully pass the resulting juice through gauze folded 3-5 times. It is important to thoroughly strain the liquid from the pulp.
Add a little vodka to our pure juice - young strawberry wine - to complete the drink. After this, we prepare clean, sterilized glass bottles into which we pour the resulting aromatic liquid.
We hide the new wine in the refrigerator or lower it into the basement, the main thing is that the drink ends up in a dark and cold place. We keep it there for several days, thereby bringing it to full readiness.

Tara-Plastic for winemaking. YOUNG FIGHTER WINEMAKER COURSE.

Plastic containers for winemaking. SAY A WORD ABOUT HARMFUL PLASTICS! NO, NO, DON'T LET HER GO TO THE THRESHOLD!

The most popular and important equipment for winemaking is containers for fermentation and then for storing wine. If you can do without other equipment, then you can’t make good wine and do without the right suitable containers for storing it.

The best wines ferment in glass and stainless steel containers, clean and sterilized. The wines are then aged in oak barrels. But such barrels need to be soaked, steamed, fumigated, and new barrels must be treated and leached. All of this takes time and makes sense if you plan to make hundreds of liters of wine a year. Large glass carboys, tanks or stainless steel cylinders are a good choice for the beginning winemaker. These materials are easy to care for, durable and will not spoil the taste of the wine prepared in them. But plastic, including the so-called. food grade, experienced winemakers recommend NOT to use.

Below is an article by Crimean winemaker Sergei Nedokhlebov about the dangers of plastic containers in winemaking as a material for fermentation and storage of wine, and the inadmissibility of its use. And this is the author’s reasoned point of view.

A young winemaker, as a rule, lacks not only experience, but also equipment. Including containers. Having familiarized himself with the prices for stainless steel, oak, glass, the winemaker clutches his head, but then the helpful market pushes him towards convenient, cheap and affordable plastic products. Any shape, size, color, and often labeled “For food”. "Can?" - asks the gullible neophyte, and receives the answer: “Of course, silly, everyone takes it and no one has complained yet!” And now - the problem is solved. But at the same time, other problems begin that do not affect immediately, but very seriously.

I’ll be honest: when I was preparing this material, I really hoped that I would be able to put in a good word for plastic containers. It is really very convenient and very, very cheap. And I have quite a lot of it: two dozen large buckets, a dozen smaller ones, a dozen tubs of different sizes, several barrels, ladles, watering cans, lids, eggplants, bottles... Of course, there is glass for four tons and stainless, enameled and wooden tubs and tubs in general half a ton volume for fermentation. But at the stage of harvesting, storing grapes, fermenting, decanting, and transporting – plastic. And if there is a shortage of safe containers, for example, for petiots, even for fermentation - plastic. Of course, I already knew that plastic and alcohol are not very compatible and took precautions. I used the purchased plastic container for about a year only for process water, did not keep it in the heat or sun, reducing the period of stay of wine materials in it. But researching this issue made me reconsider my view on the permissibility of contact between plastics and alcohol. So, the conclusion is

Barrel and bottle aging of wine

It is believed that the older the wine, the better it is. In fact, long-term aging does not always improve the taste, and for some types, for example, French Beaujolais, it is completely destructive. Wine can be compared to a living organism: it matures, becomes ripe, then begins to age and ultimately dies. The length of the life cycle depends on many factors.

In Antiquity, wine was considered the best immediately after fermentation. This is explained by its rapid souring. In those days, there were no containers that reliably protected the drink from contact with air; as a result, nothing restrained the development of vinegar bacteria. Before the new shipment, traders sold their stocks for next to nothing. Only some wines were stored for several years in tightly closed clay vessels (amphoras) or barrels filled to the top. But this was an exception to the rule.

Greek amphora - beautiful, but not practical, wine quickly turns sour in it

The situation changed only at the beginning of the 18th century, when glass bottles and cork stoppers appeared, and barrels began to be fumigated with sulfur. New technologies have made it possible to store wines for years, gradually improving quality. A new era of winemaking has begun, in which proper aging is valued no less than skill in caring for the plantation, blending grape varieties and fermentation.

Wine aging is the process of storing a fermented drink under conditions (temperature, humidity, light, air access) that help improve its quality. During aging, poorly understood chemical processes occur in which organic acids are converted into esters and other substances that change color, smell and taste.

Young red wines develop a yellowish tint; after a few years, their color resembles tiles or bricks. White wines darken noticeably; they are usually not aged longer than 4-5 years, since this does not improve organoleptic properties. Interestingly, old red and white wines are usually the same color, being yellow or brown.

The sharp primary aromas dependent on the grapes are replaced by soft fruity and floral tones. Aging for 10 years or more reveals a third wave of aromas, mostly animal, that make the drink unique. After 2-3 years, the level of tannins in young wines decreases, due to which their astringency disappears. The taste becomes soft and balanced.

On a note

The aging period of wine ranges from six months to tens, and sometimes even hundreds of years, it depends on the following factors:

alcohol and sugar content - the stronger and sweeter the wine, the longer it does not age;
grape variety - wine from varieties with a high tannin content, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon, is stored better than others;
age of the vine - old low-yield plantations produce richer wine that can be aged for a long time;
soil type – good wine will not be produced on fertile soil; the vine must “suffer” on low-nutrient but well-drained soil;
weather - if there is a lack of heat or light, the grapes ripen poorly; if they are harvested in rainy weather, the wine turns out watery;
production technology - infusion of the wort on pulp and fermentation in a barrel increases the tannin content, increasing the aging time;
temperature – the lower, the longer the wine is stored;
container volume - in small bottles chemical processes proceed faster, leading to rapid aging.

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Approximate aging periods for different types of wines:

dining rooms (white and red) – up to 3 years;
light white – 4-5 years;
light red dry – 5-8 years;
noble white – 10-20 years;
rich dry reds – 15-35 years;
the best reds of outstanding years - 80-100 years;
strong and dessert wines – up to 150 years.

There are two ways to age wine: in barrels and in bottles.

Barrel aging. Saturates the wine with tannins and oak tones. In most cases, it lasts from 4 weeks to 6 years or is not used at all. Barrels filled to the top are stored in special basements with an air temperature of 11-18°C and a humidity of 85%. Through the pores of the wood, a small amount of air enters inside, accelerating ripening. Every year 2-4.5% of the wine evaporates through these same pores, so you have to add wine of the same quality or better.

Barrel storage cellar

The barrels are made from a rare species of oak that grows in France. Each container lasts an average of 30-50 years, after which it is used to age cognac or disposed of.

Bottle aging. A mandatory step for almost all wines, thanks to which optimal quality is achieved. Depending on the production technology, some wines are bottled after fermentation, others after barrel aging. It is very important to protect the drink from any contact with oxygen. To do this, the bottles are hermetically sealed with corks, leaving an air chamber with a volume of 1.5-3 cm³ inside. The cork is filled with sealing wax or another similar mixture.

Bottles are stored horizontally (so that the wine wets the cork, preventing it from drying out) on special shelves in a dark room with a temperature of 10-16°C and a humidity of 83-86%. They are inspected 2 times a year for defects.

Rack with bottles

At home, bottles are sometimes stored in dry sandy soil in areas that are not flooded by melt and groundwater. First, dig a hole 1.5-2 meters deep and cover it with straw. Next, lay the bottles in a horizontal position, filling the gap with dry sand. The hole is filled with dug earth. Regardless of the time of year, it will always have a stable temperature.

PS At old wineries with rich traditions, there are enotecas - stocks of long-lasting wines from different areas, vineyards, plantations, prototypes and foreign standards. They are of practical, scientific, and sometimes historical value. If possible, I advise you to go on an excursion to such a place; local guides will tell you a lot of interesting things.

On a note

Where and how is it best to store moonshine and what is the shelf life of the homemade drink?

Moonshine should not interact with the container. Chemical reactions and long-term storage may release toxic substances. If you ignore this rule, your homemade drink will quickly expire. The initially clear alcohol becomes cloudy, and sediment may form at the bottom. It is dangerous to drink such a product, because... it can cause poisoning. To avoid side effects on health and extend the shelf life of moonshine, when producing homemade alcoholic beverages, you need to learn how to properly store alcohol.

Plastic containers

It is prohibited to store moonshine in plastic water bottles!

When alcohol interacts with the container material, the latter is destroyed. Cases have been recorded of moonshine corroding the walls of a plastic bottle. The process of interaction between a homemade drink and synthetic material is accompanied by cloudiness of the strong drink. A change in odor may occur.

Even if the color and taste are not affected, without appropriate analysis one cannot be sure that the chemical composition has not become dangerous for consumption. Some types of plastic release compounds such as styrene and formaldehyde when in contact with strong alcohol. Harmful components can cause not only poisoning, but also death.

You can store moonshine in a plastic container, but only if the container is specifically designed for this purpose. Such bottles are rarely found in free retail sale.

Glass bottles

Glass bottles or jars are the best option for storing homemade alcoholic beverages.

If the container was previously intended for, for example, juice, it may retain the smell of the previous drink. Before filling the bottle with distillate, you need to wash and dry it. Don't forget that some detergents can also leave odors on dishes.

It is recommended to store moonshine in bottles specially designed for these purposes, i.e. You can use the containers that are left over after purchasing licensed vodka.

Crystal decanters are also not suitable for moonshine. For a long time, the production technology of this type of glass implied the use of lead. Some crystal glassware contains 24% lead oxide. If you store moonshine in such a decanter for a long time and then drink it, heavy metal poisoning may occur.

Lead crystal was discontinued from the production of foodware. Decanters, glasses, etc. began to be made from potassium-calcium glass. For this reason, if you are sure that the crystal container is made using new technologies that do not involve the use of lead, then moonshine can be stored in it. Otherwise, it’s not worth the risk.

Oak barrels

Oak barrels are more suitable for infusing moonshine than for storing it.

In such a container, the product will change its aroma and taste, but will not be dangerous for consumption. The longer you plan to store moonshine in a barrel, the larger its volume should be. In a small container, the taste, color and smell of the distillate quickly changes.

Moonshine can spoil if the barrel you are using was just purchased and an alcohol-containing product was immediately poured into it. An oak barrel must be properly prepared. This process may take 7-10 days.

Barrels that are equipped with special taps to drain the contents are not suitable for storage. Such containers are used for dispensing drinks, i.e. as a “beautiful bottle”. Moonshine is collected into it before being poured for tasting, feasting, etc.

There is always time to throw it away (c)

I came across a message on bash.im from rusmedserv on our favorite topic of not throwing it away: At the end of last summer I made black rowan jam and sea buckthorn jam. The sea buckthorn had mold, but I washed it, hopefully well, before cooking it. I cooked the jam every 5 minutes. I added sugar by eye and did not sterilize anything.

In general, there is a suspicion of botulism1. Do I understand correctly that it is not spores or microbes that are dangerous, but toxins?2. If I decide to bake pies with this jam, how long will it take to bake them to protect the jam?3. How much jam do you need to eat to get seriously ill? Is it not dangerous if you eat a spoonful a day?

I just put a lot of work into it and it’s a pity to throw it away, but it’s not worth it to suffer from botulism. Please tell me what to do. I'm really looking forward to your answers. Thank you.

I collected advice from different places, most of all from answers.mail.ru about fermented/spoiled jam. Further multi-letter KDPV

To fix very sour jam, when overcooking, add baking soda at the rate of 1/2 to 1 tsp. for every kilogram of jam.

There was a lot of jam left. I never throw away food, so I need to find a way to break it all down one way or another. And only 3 liters of jam were fermented. My grandmother made the jam, all from her own berries, with great love. To throw something like this out - sorry. I'm probably poorly educated in this regard!

So as not to mess around for a long time. A glass of jam (without seeds only), 3-4 eggs, 1 glass of sour cream or mayonnaise, but sour cream is better, half a teaspoon of soda mixed with vinegar, mix it all, add 2-3 glasses of flour, depending on what kind of flour, grease the mold with butter and pour the dough into it. into the oven. Well, wait. You can then cut it and spread it with cream, or you can pour the same into molds and you’ll get cupcakes. Just don’t eat it hot, otherwise the aroma will be tempting!

You can boil it, add alcohol/vodka, and make something like a liqueur. Or you can add water, let it ferment, and you’ll get wine, and if you distill it, you’ll get moonshine with a fruity flavor. So everything depends on imagination and taste)))

What, it really fermented a lot?!

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Then moonshine. And if it’s a little, then boil it, add a little starch and add it to the pie filling! You can add not starch, but crushed nuts and bagels. You can boil it thoroughly, add water and it will be a compote. You can't throw it away. )))

I think that first you need to remove the mold and evaluate the taste. If there is a taste of mold, then you can digest it or use it for cooking))). There is always time to throw it away.

pour a jar of water, then add fermented jam there, stir and you will get an EXCELLENT DRESS!!

Take a large mixing bowl, put 2 tablespoons of jam in it and dilute it with water to 100 ml, add clove starch and cardamom, mix everything and pour boiling water over it, close the lid according to the rules and shake

But, about the jam, I will say that there is mold on top, especially if the jam is thick - this is nonsense - remove it with a spoon and eat the rest to your health! This is homemade, not store-bought. This happens to everyone, no one has ever been poisoned

Drunken cherry cake. It still needs to be soaked in vodka.

Pie. It will turn out very fluffy! like yeast

Place half a liter of jam in a large bowl and add a teaspoon of salt, mix well. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Carefully! Do not do this near the fire, gas will be released. Add 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. flour and bake as usual. You can add nuts, raisins, and apples to this dough. except wet ingredients

you can either digest it or throw it away, or first the first and then the second

So it goes. Do you use spoiled jam?