Homemade chacha recipe. Chacha from grapes at home

Georgian chacha is prepared from grapes; its simple recipe does not require special skills and knowledge and is prepared at home. Any owner of vineyards or simply a farmer who has a lot of juicy berries on his property tries to sell the ripe product and turn it into a pleasant drink.

Almost everyone makes good wine from homemade grapes, but they still don’t even suspect that ripe berries can also be used to make chacha.

Anyone can prepare this Caucasian drink at home without spending a lot of time. Quite often it is compared to brandy, but the founders of the recipe themselves claim that this is real grape vodka.

Each Georgian village has its own recipe for this alcohol. They are not very different from each other, so the taste is almost identical. You should figure out how to prepare chacha at home without having any special skills.

Any Georgian or Abkhaz family prepares chacha according to its own recipe. They add to the drink those ingredients that, in their opinion, fit perfectly with the alcoholic taste of this grape drink. However, there are also rules, violations of which are simply unacceptable.

Typically, such pomace remains only after high-quality grapes, which are used to prepare truly noble varieties of wine. That is why we can conclude that from such a product you can get high-quality chacha.

• To prepare chacha from the cake, you cannot squeeze it completely. It is very important that at least a little juice remains in the leftovers, which will give the grape vodka a sweet and sour taste. If your chacha contains less than a quarter of natural grape juice, then this drink may turn out to be quite bitter and strong. This chacha is suitable only for men.

According to the traditions of Georgia and other countries that prepare chacha, it is not customary to add either sugar or yeast to the drink. However, it has been proven that in these regions the grapes themselves are sweeter, so other nations will have to add sugar powder.

Should I add yeast?

As for yeast, this is a matter of taste. For some, the aroma and taste of this component is unacceptable and even disgusting, as it slightly resembles moonshine. Still, Georgians themselves prefer chacha with yeast, since thanks to them they can speed up the cooking process by at least 2 times.

But experts say that a recipe without yeast is healthier for health, so it’s better to wait a little.

To ensure that the distillation of the mash does not end with the grape skins burning, it should be strained before the procedure. Then the future chacha will not have an unpleasant burnt smell, much less taste.

It is worth noting that in the homeland of the drink it is customary to prepare the product at 55-60% vol., but people are not used to drinking drinks of such strength, so chacha needs to be distilled until the strength mark shows 45% vol. and below.

Simple recipe without adding yeast

To prepare 3.5-4 liters of strong drink you should take:

• 7.5 kg of overripe grapes, preferably the Isabella variety;
• 13-14 liters of distilled soft water;
• 4 kg granulated sugar.

The founders of this recipe say that you can also use unripe berries, this will only add piquancy and slight sourness to the future chacha.

After all the above simple procedures, the entire mass should be poured into a glass container with a very narrow neck. In this case, a 30-40 liter bottle is perfect. It is recommended to install a glove-shaped water seal on top, after making a hole in one of the fingers.

This bottle should be installed in a warm room where the air temperature is at least 22°, but not higher than 28°. Once every 2 days, the container must be opened and the contents mixed. If this is not done, the drink may not ripen completely.

The end of fermentation is usually determined by the state of the water seal. When the glove inflates, it means that the fermentation procedure is quite active. When the water seal is deflated, it is likely that the fermentation process has already been completed, and the next operations can begin.

Distillation, how many degrees should it be

With added yeast

To get an average of 3 liters of full-fledged chacha, you should take:

• 5 kg grape pomace,
• 15 liters of purified water,
• about 2-3 kg of sugar to taste,
• 50 g of dry yeast or 25 g of pressed yeast.

At the beginning of preparing the drink, you need to pour the grape pulp into a container where it will ferment.

If you are using already processed cake, which has already been used to make wine, you should take almost 2 times more of it than indicated previously. You will also need a bottle with a volume of 30 liters, no less.

1. After this, add sugar, crushed yeast, and water heated to 29° into the fermentation container.
2. After this, you need to thoroughly mix the entire mass so that the sugar can dissolve as well as possible in the released liquid.
3. After this, a water seal is installed on the neck of the bottle, which should fit very tightly. As in the previous case, this can be an ordinary rubber glove with a hole in 1 finger.
4. Place the container in a warm place where the air temperature is not lower than room temperature.
5. Once a day, the contents of the bottle should be shaken thoroughly. This is necessary to speed up the fermentation process.
6. After a couple of weeks, the contents of the bottle will acquire a bitter taste, the glove will deflate and, accordingly, the fermentation process will stop.

Chacha at the Georgian market

• The entire grape mass should be carefully strained, preferably through a cotton filter. After this, you should repeat all the steps that are carried out when distilling mash to prepare moonshine.
• The liquid is first poured into a cube and placed on fire. When the strength of the drink drops to 30% vol. and below, it is recommended to stop the distillation procedure.
• The resulting material must be diluted with water so that the strength is 20% vol., and put for additional distillation.

In no case should we forget that the “head” and “tail” are not suitable for consumption. The first 10% is the head, and the last 10% is the tail. This liquid contains a lot of toxic substances that can cause serious indigestion.

The resulting ready-made chacha must be diluted with water until you obtain the required strength. The best option for our area is 50% vol. It is better to drink the drink after 2 weeks of settling. Then it will acquire new pleasant notes of aroma and taste.

The final taste of chacha depends on what type of grape you used to prepare the drink.

Traditional Georgian

1. First you need to prepare the so-called wort. Ripe Isabella grapes should be removed from the branches and thoroughly mashed in a special container. It is very important not to wash the berries so that the fermentation process occurs without the use of yeast. The container must be enameled.
2. For 1 liter of full-fledged wort with already crushed berries, it is customary to take 50 g of sugar. This wide container is covered with a lid or another container of the same diameter and left to infuse in a warm place. The wort must be stirred every morning.
3. After about 5 days the cake will float to the top. Then all the liquid should be poured into a glass container, then distilled 2 times, following the rules of the previous recipe. The result will be a strong, but at the same time refined drink made from grapes.

To reduce the strength, simply add water

If you are the owner of vineyards and don’t know where to put your harvest, prepare chacha.

Chacha is a traditional alcoholic drink of Georgian cuisine, prepared from grapes and so beloved among the residents of the North Caucasus. The drink contains a fairly high degree (55-70), and preparing it is a real art, not accessible to everyone. In this article we will tell you how to prepare Chacha from grape cake at home.

General information

Like any traditional dish, Chacha has many cooking options, like Russian cabbage soup or Ukrainian borscht. Each owner brings something different to the Chacha recipe from grape pomace, which makes each variation unique and inimitable in taste. In this article we will look at some of the best recipes.

Typically, certain grape varieties are used to prepare the drink; Isabella, Kachich and Rkatsiteli are the best. The recipe uses grape pomace. It’s easy to get it - squeeze the juice out of the grapes using a juicer and collect the pulp. The main secret in preparing Chacha is to properly keep the liquid in a special wooden barrel.

Burning Chacha

For it, you can take both the cake left over from the wine and from fresh grapes. It is recommended to use unripe fruits. If you don't have a juicer to extract the pulp, you can go another way. Take the grapes, put the berries in an enamel bowl and pound them well with a mortar or masher, drain the juice. If possible, collect the seeds separately and place them in a barrel.

Secret! Traditionally, Chacha needs to be infused in a wooden barrel, which gives the drink a specific taste. If you don’t have such a barrel, use enamel containers.

First stage

Now you need to prepare the pulp. To the remaining cake add sugar and pre-boiled water, cooled to room temperature. Initially, you need to observe the following proportions: 3 kg of fresh grapes to 1 kg of sugar and 3 liters of water. So, mix the resulting mixture well and leave to infuse for 20-25 days. Once every three days, the prepared Chacha should be stirred with a clean wooden spoon. It's best not to wash grapes before cooking. There is a natural coating on its skin that accelerates the fermentation process.

Secret! Real Georgian Chacha does not contain sugar. This is explained by the natural sugar content of the grapes of those regions, which is not always inherent in fruits growing in the middle zone.

Distillation

After the specified period, begin distilling the raw materials. Strain the liquid into the moonshine still using gauze. The pulp must be separated so that it does not burn and does not leave an unpleasant aftertaste. However, it can be used to add flavor in another way: hang the cake in gauze inside the moonshine still.

Repeat the running procedure twice, and then pour the drink into barrels, or, in the absence of them, into glass containers.

Tincture

The minimum period of infusion for Chacha is 40-70 days, after which it is ready for use. But as you know, there is a direct relationship between the aging period and the quality of taste.

Secret! True Georgian winemakers measure the standard of a drink in the following way: they dip their finger in it and set it on fire. If the fire does not bake or leave burns, then everything is perfect. But remember that this is a dangerous testing method and it is better to trust your taste sensations.

Grape Chacha

The second option for preparing the drink is without adding a large amount of water, but using grape juice. The proportions change slightly: 3 kg of fruit, 1 kg of sugar and 1 liter of water.

Secret! To get a sufficient amount of drink, it is recommended to increase the amount of components by 3-4 times.

In this recipe, you won’t have to remove the seeds from the enamel container; you can even leave the sprigs from the grapes – they provide even better flora for fermentation. Mash the grapes well with your hands, add sugar, a little water and leave in the bowl for two to three weeks. Instead of a lid, you can put gauze on top. Store the mixture at room temperature - this is a favorable environment for bacteria. Stir the mixture 2-3 times a week. Infuse the future Chacha in this way for about a week. An indicator of readiness will be the pulp that floats to the surface.

Using a fine sieve or gauze, strain the liquid into a moonshine still and make 2 distillations. The second time is necessary to be on the safe side against the sourish-spicy aftertaste that can sometimes appear. After distillation, pour the drink into oak barrels and place in a cool cellar or basement. If necessary, the barrels can be replaced with glass containers. It is better not to open alcohol placed in a cool place before 3-4 months.

Chacha with yeast

Adding yeast during the preparation process can significantly speed up the fermentation process and allow you to quickly get a strong drink. As in previous recipes, we need pulp from unripe grapes, and from which we extract the juice by kneading with our hands or a mortar. You won't use the pulp in this recipe, so strain the juice through cheesecloth and set aside the rest.

For preparation, the following proportion is required: juice, sugar, dolzhi and water as 2:1:0.05-0.1:6. If the yeast is dry, then use the lower threshold; if pressed, then use the upper threshold.

Combine the pomace and sugar and add the yeast. Add warm water (20-25 degrees) to the resulting mixture, mix well and install a water seal, that is, a device for removing carbon dioxide. For example, a medical glove with a hole in the finger. Place the container with the drink being prepared in a warm, dark place and stir the mixture every three days.

After fermentation is complete, we begin distillation, which we repeat 2 times. It is recommended to dilute the liquid obtained after the first distillation with water to obtain a 20% solution. After distillation, pour into a glass container and let it brew for 2-3 days with the lid tightly closed. You need to put the container in a cool place.

The drink is ready to drink!

How to use Chacha

Traditionally, the drink is served chilled during the holidays; it goes well with all dishes, both sweet and savory. However, a well-aged liquid is delicious to drink at room temperature. They drink Chacha from 30-50 ml “vodka” glasses. Traditional Georgian dishes are best suited as appetizers: shish kebab, khachapuri, sauerkraut, fresh vegetables, etc.

In Georgia, it is not customary to combine Chacha with other alcoholic drinks, but in Abkhazia it is sometimes washed down with dry wine. But it is important to note that this mixture goes to the head.

Conclusion

So, we looked at several recipes on how to make Chacha from grape cake at home. Choose any one that suits you best and enjoy the drink. Don't forget to serve it correctly in the best traditions of Georgia.

Video recipe for chacha made from grape pomace at home

Chacha is a traditional drink of Georgia and Abkhazia. Many people have heard about it, but not everyone has a real idea of ​​what kind of drink it is. In fact, it is grape brandy prepared in a special way. Depending on the raw materials used, this alcohol acquires different shades of taste and aroma. So, the heroine of today's article will behomemade grape chacha, simple recipeRead on for preparations.

According to the tradition of the mountaineers, chacha must be consumed in small glasses before meals. In many villages in Georgia, there is a custom to drink a glass of grape brandy before working outside on frosty days; it warms the body and increases stamina. This alcoholic drink is considered an elixir of longevity, and according to tradition, drinking it during festive feasts, and in large quantities, is considered bad form. The strength of homemade vodka can reach 70 degrees, while a factory-made drink is rarely stronger than 55 degrees. If you make grape brandy yourself, you can not only adjust the strength to your personal preferences, but also be confident in the quality of the alcohol.

The basis for the drink is mash made from winemaking waste and unripe grapes, which are unsuitable for use. The grapes themselves can be either light or dark. In the first case, you will get a drink with an invigorating aroma and slight sourness. The second option will yield a softer moonshine with a deep fruity bouquet. Despite its high strength, alcohol is very easy and soft to drink, this is its insidiousness.

If the grapes are taken as a basis from a personal garden and you are sure that the crop was not treated with chemicals, then you cannot wash them, since wild yeast is necessary for fermentation. But if there are no guarantees, then it is better to rinse, but in this case the fermentation process will have to be helped.

Before you start cookingwhich will be given below, you need to prepare dishes and tools.

• Moonshine still of any design.
• Container for fermentation, it is better if it is a bottle, so as not to complicate the installation of a water seal.
• A basin or wide large saucepan suitable for preparing the cake.
• Gauze to strain the wort.
• Devices for purifying distillate (activated carbon, cotton wool and funnel).

If everything is ready, then we proceed to the process itself.

Chacha from grapes at home, a simple recipe

According to the traditional Georgian recipe, alcohol is prepared without the use of yeast or sugar. But due to the fact that not all grape varieties growing in Russia have the required degree of sugar content, sometimes it is impossible to do without these ingredients. Therefore, we will consider two recipes for preparing the drink, with and without yeast.

Recipe using yeast

Adding yeast and sugar speeds up the fermentation process, so preparing chacha at home can rarely be done without them. In addition, they increase the amount of drink released.

Ingredients:

• grape pomace – 10 l;
• sugar – 5 kg;
• yeast, dry 100 g (raw, pressed 500 g);
• water 30 l.

The current composition is designed for 50 liters of wort. If initially there is less material, then the composition must be reduced in accordance with the proportions. Usually chacha is prepared in parallel with. That is, grape juice is used to make wine must, and the pomace is used to make brandy.

Cooking processChachi from grapes at home, a simple recipe with yeast.

1. Dilute the yeast in a small amount of warm water (no more than 35 degrees, otherwise the bacteria will die). And let it stand for a while in a warm place (about an hour).
2. Mix grape raw materials, sugar and yeast in a fermentation container and add warm water. The preferred liquid temperature is no more than 25 degrees.
3. Stir the wort and install a water seal. If there is no device, then a medical glove with a puncture on the finger will correct the situation. The main thing is to prevent air from entering the container and allow the resulting carbon dioxide to escape.
4. The wort must be placed in a dark, warm place for active fermentation. Once every two days the wort must be thoroughly mixed.
5. The process of active fermentation with yeast takes about 10 days. At the end of the process, the mash will become light, a sediment will form, and the water seal will stop producing bubbles. The liquid itself acquires a bitter taste. This means you can start distilling.
6. Before starting the distillation process, it is necessary to strain the mash, this is necessary in order to get rid of the remaining cake, which will burn when heated and spoil the taste of the drink. To do this, the liquid is first drained from the sediment through a hose, and then filtered using a paper filter or gauze.
7. The mash, cleared of grape residues, is poured into a moonshine still and the first distillation begins. In this case, the process is performed at high temperature and all the moonshine is taken until its degree drops to 30%.
8. With the liquid obtained after the first distillation, it is necessary to repeat the process. This time the moonshine is divided into fractions. The first fraction (approximately 8% of the total volume) cannot be drunk, it is a dangerous liquid with a high alcohol content, it must be separated and poured out. Then the average result of the repeated distillation is collected until the degree of moonshine drops to 40.

The resulting drink is already the final result. You need to measure the total alcohol content in it and, if necessary, dilute it with clean water to 40-60% as desired.

Chacha without yeast

This version of the recipe is closer to the traditional one. Chacha turns out more tasty and aromatic, without the characteristic yeast taste. But you should be patient, as the process of preparing the drink will take a lot of time.

Ingredients:

• grapes – 5 kg;
• water – 5 liters;
• sugar – 1 kg.

The main condition is that the grapes must not be washed under any circumstances, otherwise the wild yeast necessary for fermentation will be lost and the drink will not work.

1. The grapes need to be crushed, filled with warm water, added sugar and placed in a dark, warm place for primary fermentation. Cover the container with gauze. The wort must be stirred every 2-3 hours to avoid mold formation.
2. As soon as the fermentation process takes place, you need to install a water seal or rubber glove and place the container in a warm place for active fermentation. The process lasts about 2 months. The completion will be indicated by a quiet water seal or a fallen glove, the wort itself will lighten and give sediment.
3. The liquid is drained from the sediment, filtered and subjected to primary distillation.
4. We repeat the distillation, dividing the chacha into fractions, remember. That the first part should be poured out, and the middle one should be taken away until the degree drops to 40%.

Chacha is a strong alcohol-containing drink made from grapes. It is widespread throughout the Caucasus, most of all in Abkhazia and Georgia. The traditional Georgian drink has a strength of as much as 65-70 degrees! The history of the origin of chacha goes back centuries, when the recipes for preparing this drink were kept in the strictest confidence, and disputes about its place of origin (Abkhazia or Georgia) do not subside to this day.

However, the production of chacha was officially patented in Georgia (2011). Shop chacha is in demand only among tourists, while indigenous Caucasians prefer to cook it themselves, passing recipes from father to son, from grandfather to grandson.

Although preparing grape vodka is a rather labor-intensive process, making chacha at home is very simple. To make the drink, wine grape varieties with high acidity are used.

It’s difficult to say which grapes are best to use for chacha. Red varieties will produce a more aromatic drink, while white varieties will produce chacha with a slight sourness and low strength.

The Georgian drink is prepared from white varieties of Rkatsiteli, and in the mountains Abkhazia mainly dark grape varieties such as Isabella and Akacic are used. When using different varieties of berries, the taste and aroma of the drink will be more rich and harmonious.

In central Russia, as well as in the northern regions, chacha is prepared from Isabella grapes. This is the most popular variety, distinguished by its unpretentiousness, frost resistance and high yield. Isabella grapes are widely used for the production of alcoholic beverages in central Russia. The berries are used to make jams, juices, preserves, and they are used to make strong homemade moonshine and delicious wine.

How to prepare chacha at home?

Preparation of chacha is carried out in several stages:

Homemade grape chacha recipe

The basis of the drink is the grape marc left after wine production. Sometimes mash for chacha is prepared from whole grapes.

Traditional Georgian chacha is prepared from water and cake, without using sugar or yeast. However, due to the low sugar content of the Isabella grapes, sugar will still have to be added, and water will be added to reduce the acidity. To make chacha you will need the following Ingredients:

• water - 30 l;
• sugar - 5-7 kg;
• grape cake - 10 l.

Making chacha at home

Preparation. Fresh grapes are cleaned of rotten berries and leaves. Under no circumstances should you wash it, since the white coating on the surface of the berries is the wild yeast necessary to start the fermentation process of the mash.

The grapes must be crushed with your hands or feet, and this can be done together with the ridges. To prepare chacha, you only need the cake, and the resulting juice is used for home winemaking. If there is no grape marc, it must be prepared, since without this component the finished chacha will bear little resemblance to the real drink.

For a long time, elders have been preparing grape moonshine in teak or oak barrels, thanks to which the drink acquires a unique aroma.

How to make chacha at home?

Making chacha at home is not particularly difficult. The only condition for obtaining a tasty and high-quality drink is strict adherence to the recipe.

There are two main recipe chacha at home:

For this recipe, you need to take a lightly squeezed pulp, in which about 25% of the juice should remain. This is necessary to preserve the grape aroma in the final product. A 50-liter container is ideal as a container. glass bottle.

• The pomace is poured into a container, after which yeast and sugar are added.
• Then pour warm water so that the yeast starts working.
• The ingredients are thoroughly mixed and left in a dark place at room temperature for 2 weeks to ferment.
• During the entire fermentation period, the mixture must be stirred periodically.
• The resulting mash should be strained through cheesecloth to separate the pulp, which may burn during the distillation process.
• The resulting grape alcohol is reused distill through a moonshine still, but now with cutting off the heads and tails. The liquid is cooled and diluted to the desired strength.
• Now you need to bottle the drink and infuse it for another two weeks.
• Chacha is ready - drink and enjoy!

How to make chacha from grapes without yeast?

Preparing the drink according to this recipe will take longer, since without yeast starter the chacha will ferment longer. This method allows you to avoid the appearance of the not entirely pleasant smell of yeast inherent in the drink prepared according to the previous recipe.

Ingredients:

• clean water - first 10 liters, then another 30 liters;
• unripe or substandard grapes (preferably Isabella) - 15 kg;
• sugar - 7-9 kg.

The cooking process is divided into the following stages:

How to properly clean chacha from impurities?

To carry out the cleaning procedure we will need the following:

• Activated carbon;
• potassium permanganate;
• Pine nuts;
• water;
• two containers;
• funnel;
• cotton wool;
• wood ash (oak, birch or beech);
• salt.

You can clean the drink from impurities in various ways. Let's talk about the most popular of them.

How to clean chacha with manganese?

Like any other moonshine, chacha has harsh taste, rather unpleasant odor and high strength. One of the simplest and most accessible ways to cleanse a drink from fusel oils is to use potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

To do this, you need to dilute the liquid to a strength of 40-45 degrees and add manganese to it at the rate of 2-3 g / 3 l, stir the solution and leave for 2-3 days. At the end of the process, you will notice that black flakes have formed at the bottom of the container - these are harmful impurities that need to be gotten rid of. Chacha is carefully poured into another jar, filtered through cotton wool.

Activated carbon

This method is universal, since it can be used both during distillation and after it is completed. In the first case, you need to use a funnel, into which you first put cotton wool, a piece of gauze and a layer of activated carbon. This device is placed under the stream freshly prepared moonshine or pass an already settled drink through it.

If it is difficult to drain the chacha, activated carbon can be poured directly into the container (40-50 g of product / 1 liter of drink). After which the liquid is infused for two weeks, stirring occasionally. Then pass through a cotton filter.

Pine nuts

Pine nuts also serve as an excellent moonshine cleanser. It is necessary to pour the nuts into a container with the drink at the rate of 1 handful per 1 liter and leave for two weeks. Then pass the drink through a filter and discard the nuts.

Wood ash and table salt

Ennoble The drink can be made using sifted wood ash (beech, oak or birch) and regular salt. These components are first poured into the mash. After distillation, grape vodka is diluted to 30-40 degrees and distilled again, but without these additives.

By freezing

A very interesting way to purify moonshine, which consists of application low temperatures. Chacha is poured into a durable frost-resistant container and placed in the freezer. During the freezing process, the water takes away all the harmful impurities and as a result, what remains is a drink as clear as a tear, which must be poured into a separate container.

Grape vodka is a favorite and very popular drink of all the peoples of the Caucasus. The mountaineers are completely confident that it is precisely this that helps preserve Caucasian health and prolong human life. A properly prepared drink is used in the treatment of many diseases. However, you should not abuse it - it is, after all, alcohol!

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