Not everyone knows that oak bark is a product that contains many healing qualities. In addition, oak tincture has an extraordinary taste and exquisite aroma. You can buy oak bark in pharmacies or specialized stores, or order it online.
Recipe for making oak bark tincture with moonshine
Tincture of oak bark from moonshine is a rather potent drink that is not difficult to prepare at home. consists of simple and accessible products for everyone.
- First you need to start preparing the alcohol base. There is no need to take on complex ones; it is enough to prepare a regular sugar mash. However, if you use grapes or grains as raw materials for mash, you will end up with a drink that is similar in quality to brandy or cognac.
- The finished mash needs to be distilled several times, removing the “heads” and “tails” in the process. To do this, you will need (we recommend choosing a device with a distillation column brand). To ensure that the device lasts a long time and the result of use does not disappoint, you need to read before purchasing, they will allow you to understand whether the chosen model is suitable for you or whether it is better to choose another.
- Add oak bark, honey, spices and herbs to taste into the prepared moonshine, close the mixture tightly and leave to infuse for a week in a warm place.
- After this time, the tincture becomes the color of cognac.
- It should be cleared of everything by straining through cheesecloth.
- All that remains is to pour it into an empty container.
If the drink is too strong, it needs to be diluted with cold water. It should be drunk from cognac glasses, slightly cooled before drinking.
Recipe for making oak bark tincture with vodka
A tincture of oak bark with vodka is also easy to prepare. To prepare the drink you need:
- oak bark – 50 grams;
- vodka – 1 liter.
After mixing all the ingredients in a jar, you need to put it in a dark, cool place and let it brew for 7 days, strain and pour into another container.
A vodka-based tincture of oak chips is very reminiscent of homemade cognac.
It requires:
- vodka – 0.5 liters;
- dry rosehip – 4 g;
- hawthorn – 4 g;
- cloves – 3 pcs;
- small oak chips - 1 teaspoon;
- black tea – 0.5 tsp;
- sugar – 1 tsp;
- St. John's wort – 1 sprig.
You need to put everything in a jar, first crushing the rose hips and hawthorn with a rocking chair, pour vodka into it, mix and leave for a month in the dark at medium temperature. Then filter through cotton wool and add sugar if desired.
Recipe for making oak bark tincture with alcohol
An alcohol tincture of oak bark is prepared from a liter of diluted alcohol and 50 grams of oak bark, crushed to powder. You need to pour alcohol into the bark and let it sit for 7 days. Strain and the tincture is ready for use.
Oak bark tincture should be used with caution. When rinsing the mouth, your sense of smell may decrease, in which case you should stop using the tincture. It should not be used by nursing mothers or during pregnancy, hemorrhoids, or intestinal diseases. If you are going to use the tincture for medical purposes, be sure to consult your doctor!
All elite alcoholic drinks from a good manufacturer have a mandatory aging period, which affects the quality of the finished product and, of course, its taste. Let's find out how to infuse moonshine yourself if there is no special barrel nearby, and learn the secrets of experienced moonshiners.
What's the difference
Experienced masters of the alcohol business know the answer to this question; there are several advantages:
Oak bark, thanks to the absorbent properties of wood, helps absorb all harmful substances and aldehydes remaining after the distillation process, which have a detrimental effect on the body;
In addition to the fact that oak bark binds all compounds hazardous to health, it also has an excellent aroma, which means the drink is soft in taste and pleasant to the nose;
Homemade high-quality moonshine made with oak bark helps treat a large number of different diseases and, of course, prevent them. Its recipe requires some knowledge about the quality and composition of the required raw materials.
What should oak bark be like?
Moonshining is a difficult process in itself and requires some skills. Professionals in this business know how to infuse moonshine on oak bark correctly, and share their secrets with beginners:
- You need to infuse moonshine for a certain amount of time, otherwise the taste will become bitter and the color will darken.
- It is better to prepare oak bark for preparing the drink yourself, but you can also purchase it at a special store for distillers or at a pharmacy. Additional boiled or burnt bark will give the moonshine a beautiful amber color, and the aroma will clearly have notes of prunes, smoke or vanilla.
- A drink aged in real water will differ significantly in its chemical composition, and every year it gets better and better; this cannot be said about cognac made from moonshine. At home, the recipe does not require such a long aging and such conditions, but it significantly improves the taste and color of the drink, making it cleaner and healthier.
We will prepare the raw materials ourselves
If you can’t purchase high-quality oak bark, you can visit the nearest forest; these raw materials will be even better and more proven than purchased ones.
- It is important to know that young oak bark, saturated with a large number of useful substances, is especially good for such purposes. And you can find it on old trees, or more precisely, on their young branches and shoots. The optimal time for collecting the raw materials we need is spring, when all the plants wake up, renew themselves and are filled with fresh juice.
- Removing the bark is simple: you need to make transverse cuts on the branch in the right places and one along it, and then, using a knife to pick up the edge of the cut, remove the bark completely in a circle.
- Outwardly, such pieces of raw material extracted from young branches resemble long thin tubes. It is in this state that we leave them to dry in a dry, well-lit place. Direct sunlight and moisture reduce the beneficial properties of the product. To get truly high-quality moonshine from oak bark, the recipe and its entire sequence must be strictly followed.
Oak tincture
An infusion of moonshine on oak bark is very similar in taste to good cognac. Having already mastered this recipe, you can add various herbs and spices to it, improving the taste of the drink and giving it originality. Experienced moonshiners show their imagination to the fullest, experimenting with coriander, St. John's wort, cloves, pepper, oregano and other aromatic ingredients. For now, we will look at the basic recipe for the tincture, the main components for which are:
Harvested or purchased oak bark - two tablespoons;
Moonshine (decide on the degree yourself) - two liters;
Homemade honey, preferably fresh - half a glass.
Classic recipe
Connoisseurs of high-quality alcoholic beverages have long debated whether it is possible to infuse moonshine on oak bark. They do not like the taste of such a tincture too much, considering it a little harsh, but it is certainly better than ordinary moonshine, and some of the harmful substances are absorbed bark, which is a definite plus. And the tincture is prepared simply:
Oak bark is poured into the bottom of a clean container (you can use a regular three-liter bottle for this purpose);
It is filled with the required amount of moonshine;
Now you can close it with a lid and put it in a cool place to settle, or you can experiment and add some of the above herbs.
You can decide how long to infuse moonshine on oak bark yourself by periodically checking its color and taste. But experienced masters of this business recommend keeping the mixture for no more than two weeks, and then straining it and pouring it into pre-prepared bottles.
Mandatory preparation of moonshine
A homemade drink made with oak bark can significantly spoil the high content of fusel oils found in unrefined moonshine. Therefore, before starting to prepare tincture or cognac from it, it is recommended to filter it. You can do this in several ways:
- Using potassium permanganate.
- Milk.
- Activated carbon
- Freezing method.
Experienced moonshiners consider the last method to be the simplest and most accessible. Before infusing moonshine on oak bark, place the container with it in the freezer. Water will freeze to the walls of the vessel, and with it most of the fusel oils; the remaining liquid can be drained and made from it at home.
Homemade cognac recipe
An important condition here will be a special container for making the drink. It’s best if it’s wooden, and it’s very good if it’s oak, but if you don’t have something like that on hand, you can take enamel or glassware. Most often, when preparing a drink at home, ordinary five- or three-liter jars are used, and plastic lids are used to seal them.
Sugar is heated in a clean enamel bowl; it is important to darken it to a golden color, but not burn it, which will spoil the taste of the future cognac;
The resulting mass must be carefully poured into moonshine and stirred until it is completely dissolved;
To improve the taste of the drink, cloves, vanilla, nut partitions, caraway seeds and oak bark are added to it;
To make the drink more similar to cognac, knowledgeable moonshiners add a little citric acid to it, after which the container is tightly sealed and sent to a cool place to settle;
You can try the drink after five days, but it is better to wait a period of three to four weeks. Note that the richness of the taste and aroma of such homemade cognac depends entirely on how to infuse the moonshine on oak bark, and over time its beneficial properties will only increase. improve.
The bark is the most important aspect
The finished cognac is passed through a filter, cleaned of small particles in it and poured into beautiful bottles in which it can be stored for many years. His recipe is based on oak bark, so you should be very careful in its preparation and selection. It is thanks to it that the drink receives its rich aroma, taste and a lot of useful properties, for which we are so deeply loved by true connoisseurs of this product. All other spices are added to its composition to taste.
In this article we talk about oak bark tincture. You will learn how this remedy is useful and how to prepare it correctly. You will understand what the features of its use are and what contraindications it has.
The benefits and harms of oak tincture are determined by the properties of the raw materials used to prepare the medicinal product. Oak bark is used in medicine and cosmetology to treat diseases and improve the condition of skin and hair. Tincture of oak bark is used in folk medicine and home cosmetology. Decoction and tincture of oak bark have the following effect on the body:
- improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract during dysentery;
- stop bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, with hemorrhoids;
- strengthen gums and relieve inflammation;
- cope with dermatological diseases (eczema, psoriasis, burns);
- reduce the volume of menstrual bleeding;
- heal erosions of the uterus and vagina;
- eliminate dandruff, improve hair condition.
These properties are due to the presence of flavonoids, pentosans, and tannins in oak bark.
The benefits of oak bark tincture are due to the presence of antioxidants; they maintain water balance in cells and accelerate regeneration processes.
How to prepare oak bark tincture
The method for making oak bark tincture at home depends on the purpose for which it will be used.. The product can be prepared with water or alcohol based (vodka, moonshine, alcohol). Use the tincture for oral administration, rinsing, and lotions.
On vodka
Let's look at how to prepare oak bark tincture with vodka. Use a high-quality alcohol base so as not to spoil the healing properties of the product. Prepare oak bark yourself or purchase it at a pharmacy.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 1.5 tsp.
- Vodka - 0.5 l.
How to cook: Finely chop the oak bark and place it in a bottle. Add vodka, leave the container in a dark place and wait 10 days. Strain.
How to use: Take 20 drops of the resulting product before bed.
Result: Improves digestion, sleep.
On alcohol
A tincture of oak bark with alcohol is more concentrated. To prepare, use pure medical alcohol.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 1.5 tsp.
- Alcohol - 0.2 l.
How to cook: Grind the bark and put it in a bottle, fill it with alcohol. Leave for a week, strain.
How to use: Drink 10-15 drops in the evening, diluted in half a glass of water.
Result: Improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
On moonshine
This oak bark tincture resembles cognac. It is prepared using spices that give it a rich taste. The recipe for a tincture of moonshine on oak bark differs little in technology from traditional methods of preparing a medicinal product.
Use moonshine for tincture on oak bark, twice purified. The better the alcohol base, the better the infusion.
Ingredients:
- Moonshine - 3 l.
- Oak bark - 3 tbsp.
- Cloves - 5 pcs.
- - 1 tbsp.
- Black peppercorns - 10 pcs.
- and oregano - 1 tbsp.
- Vanillin, coriander - on the tip of a knife.
How to cook: Place dry ingredients in a container. Fill with moonshine and leave for 2 weeks. Shake well every 3 days. After steeping, strain the oak moonshine 3-4 times. Leave for another 10 days.
How to use: Take 50−100 ml per day.
Result: Calms the nervous system, improves general condition.
On oak chips
You can prepare a tincture using oak bark or wood chips. The recipe for a tincture using oak wood chips is more complex, since the base is not tree bark, but wood chips. However, the taste of the drink is rich, close to the taste of cognac.
Ingredients:
- Oak chips - 30−60 g.
- Moonshine - 1 l.
How to cook: Soak the wood chips thoroughly, changing the water 5-6 times during the day. Make a soda solution from 1 tsp. soda per 6 liters of water and soak the wood chips in it for another 6 hours. Wash the oak chips and boil them for an hour. Place the raw materials in a net and hang them in a ventilated area. After a day, remove it. Burn the wood chips in an oven preheated to 160-180 degrees. The taste of the future drink depends on the roasting time. Place the wood chips in a glass container and fill with moonshine. Place in a cool, dark place for 3-6 months.
How to use: Take 50−100 ml 1−2 times a day.
Result: Calms the nervous system, improves digestion.
Application of oak bark tincture
Instructions for using alcohol or water tincture of oak bark depend on the disease for which it is used to treat. For external use, an aqueous infusion or decoction is often prepared.
For diarrhea
To get rid of indigestion, an alcoholic tincture of oak bark or a decoction is suitable. If you take an alcoholic drink, drink 15-20 drops before bed. Let's look at how to prepare and take a decoction of oak bark for diarrhea.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 1 tsp.
- Boiling water - 1 tbsp.
How to cook: Pour boiling water over the bark and boil for 1-2 minutes. Leave for 1 hour.
How to use: Take 2 tbsp. infusion 2-3 times a day.
Result: Improves digestion, eliminates diarrhea.
From sweating
Use oak bark tincture for sweating in baths. Oak bark reduces the amount of sweat produced.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 5 tbsp.
- Boiling water - 1 l.
How to cook: Pour boiling water over the bark and cook for 20 minutes. Cool the broth and leave for 3 hours, covered with a towel. Dilute the decoction 1 tbsp. water. Add the product to a warm bath.
How to use: Take a bath for 15 minutes. Repeat the procedure 2-3 times a week.
Result: Reduces sweating.
For gums
An infusion of oak bark for gums is prepared in a water bath. This remedy strengthens gums and treats periodontal disease. Use oak bark tincture as a mouth rinse for no more than 2 weeks, as the product has a negative effect on the condition of tooth enamel.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 3 tbsp.
- Boiling water - 1 tbsp.
How to cook: Add the bark to boiling water. Prepare the decoction for half an hour in a water bath. Strain the prepared product and add more boiled water to make 300 ml of the medicine. Store in a cool place for 2 days.
How to use: Rinse your mouth with infusion. Use the product up to 8 times a day.
Result: Infusion of oak bark for teeth prevents bleeding, strengthens gums, and relieves inflammation.
For hemorrhoids
Oak bark tincture for hemorrhoids helps stop bleeding. Take the product orally, use it for lotions and baths.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 1 tsp.
- Boiling water - 400 ml.
How to cook: Place the bark in a thermos and pour boiling water over it. The product will be ready in 12 hours.
How to use: Drink the infusion after meals, 0.5 tbsp. three times a day. The course of treatment is 20 days.
Result: Strengthens blood vessels, stops bleeding.
For men's health
Tincture of oak bark for men increases potency and helps cope with diseases of the genital area.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 30 g.
- Vodka or alcohol - 0.5 l.
How to cook: Fill the bark with an alcohol base and leave the product for a week.
How to use: Take the product three times a day, 20 drops, diluting the tincture in 0.5 tbsp. water. The duration of the course is 2 weeks.
Result: Increases potency.
For hair
You can prepare an infusion for rinsing using oak bark extract for hair. In this case, 0.5-1 tsp is enough. funds for 1−1.5 liters of boiling water. If you are preparing an infusion from ordinary oak bark, the dosage will be different.
Ingredients:
- Oak bark - 3 tbsp.
- Boiling water - 1 l.
How to cook: Pour boiling water over the bark and leave for 40 minutes. Strain the infusion.
How to use: Rinse your hair after every shampoo.
Result: Curls become strong and silky.
Contraindications and possible harm
Before taking oak bark tincture, study the conditions for using this product. It has a number of contraindications:
- gastrointestinal diseases in the acute phase;
- allergic reaction;
- liver or kidney failure.
Contraindications to oak bark infusion also apply to the period of use of this product: do not use it for more than 2 weeks.
Long-term use of the drink can lead to vomiting, poor sense of smell, and yellow teeth.
Use quality raw materials. If the alcohol tincture on the oak bark becomes cloudy, it is not suitable for treatment.
For more information about oak tincture, watch the video:
What to remember
- Tincture of oak bark is used in the treatment of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, genital area, teeth and gums, to improve the condition of hair.
- Before use, study contraindications.
- Use high-quality raw materials to prepare the infusion.
Not everyone has the opportunity (or even the desire) to buy an oak barrel to age moonshine in. Maybe using a keg is correct from a technological point of view. But just think about it - the alcohol poured into a barrel is left alone in the cellar for a couple of years to get good homemade brandy!
So our inventive people came up with the idea of infusing moonshine on oak chips or even on bark purchased at a pharmacy. The method is convenient, accelerated, and produces results similar to those that take three years to achieve!
The best result will be obtained if you use moonshine obtained from, or even by distilling a failed one.
The product of processing wine material into strong alcohol is also called cognac alcohol. Already initially it has a pleasant taste and aroma, and upon contact with oak raw materials it acquires fruity, vanilla, chocolate and even floral notes. This depends on the quality of the oak chips or bark and the steeping time.
But moonshine (preferably with a strength of at least 45%) made using fruits, grains (barley, wheat, corn, rye), and sugar is also suitable for infusion. When strong alcohol comes into contact with oak bark or wood, tannins gradually transform moonshine into a noble drink, changing color, aroma and taste.
Will need oak raw materials. Other additives are also possible: spices, herbs, but more on that below, in the recipes for moonshine on oak bark or sawdust or wood chips.
An interesting taste and aroma is obtained by using apple or cherry wood.
Elite barrels are made from the middle part of a log of at least a hundred years old oak. Even under unfavorable growing conditions, the thickness of the log is from 30 cm in diameter. Therefore, having such a log at your disposal, you also need to know how to make oak chips. Use an ax to prick thin pegs 10 cm long and 2 cm thick.
Preparation of oak raw materials
Many people think that moonshine tincture on oak chips (bark) is prepared simply: add raw materials to a jar and wait until the liquid turns into brandy. In reality it is more complicated.
Unprocessed oak raw materials contain too many substances that have a bad effect on the taste and organoleptic characteristics of alcohol. Therefore it need to be prepared in advance.
When making oak barrels, after they have already been filled with hoops, they are certainly fired: burning sawdust is thrown inside and the almost finished barrel is wrapped around its axis.
Each cooper adheres to his own technology and burns in his own way (letting the wood burn stronger or weaker) or focusing on the wishes of the client.
The processing of raw materials is based on the same technology. If wood chips are used for moonshine, the material requires certain processing stages:
- Soak for 24 hours in cold water. In this case, the water is changed twice (every 8 hours) with new water.
- A day later, after draining the water, soak with soda: dilute a spoonful of regular soda in 5 liters of warm water (it does not dissolve in cold water) for 6 hours and soak the wood chips for 6 hours.
- The washed raw materials are placed in a pan of water and boiled for 45 minutes (counting from the moment of boiling).
- They take it out, wash it again and dry it in the air or in the attic for several days. The raw materials should become dry.
- Place on a baking sheet and place in the oven, which is preheated to 150°C. Here it is important to monitor and burn to the desired condition. In 2 hours you will get a medium roast.
The flavor notes and aroma of the future tincture on oak wood depend on the degree to which the material is burned:
- Light firing(for a barrel it is determined by the cooper’s eye; when using crushed material, it stops as soon as smoke appears) will give the tincture a subtle vanilla tint, fruity and floral notes will appear.
- Medium firing(with the appearance of smoke and odor, but without changing color) provides more pronounced aromas: your moonshine will take on notes of coconut, almond, caramel or spices.
- Strong firing(when the color of the wood begins to change, but it has not turned black), will saturate the final product with a smoky taste and a chocolate tint (real Scotch whiskey is infused in highly charred barrels).
The aroma and flavor tones depend not only on the degree of firing, but also on the raw materials used. It is important that it is of high quality: not spoiled by insects or kept in unfavorable conditions, and from a tree that is not too young. It’s a good idea to use ready-made chips, as there is a certain guarantee of quality.
Burnt, ready-to-use raw materials can be stored for several years in a linen bag in a dry place.
Oak chip infusion recipe
The simplest recipe for moonshine with oak chips includes only two ingredients: wood chips and strong homemade alcohol. You need to take a strong one (this is an indispensable condition, the strength is at least 45°, preferably 50 or 60°), and decide how much oak chips per liter of moonshine.
Usually you need to take 25 grams of wood chips. With a larger quantity, an unpleasant aftertaste will appear; with a smaller quantity, the drink will not acquire the desired aroma and color. Preparation procedure:
- Prepare the wood chips as described above. Purchased in a store or online, oak chips for moonshine are already fried; you only need to select the degree of roasting.
- You don’t have to do anything with freshly fried raw materials. Both homemade and purchased wood chips that have been sitting for a while should be placed in the oven or under the microwave grill and fried a little so that a pleasant aroma appears, like from a burning fireplace. Make sure it doesn't really catch fire!
- Add the required amount of wood chips to a jar of moonshine, close it tightly (you can even roll it up, it’s not wine - it won’t explode), put it in the basement, and forget about it for 2 - 3 months.
- About once a week, watch how the color changes and take a sample for organoleptic indicators. Moonshine on oak chips gradually changes in color: first to yellowish, and then to cognac. Taste and aroma change.
- Next, the moonshine on oak chips should be drained, filtered if necessary, and let it rest in the glass for another 5 days. This will help stabilize and develop the flavor.
If insisted follow your own taste. You should not overexpose the tincture if you are already satisfied with it. Sometimes two weeks is enough, sometimes 3 months are needed.
Flavored oak bark tincture
For moonshine tincture on oak bark, use pharmaceutical bark, you can also remove it from the tree with your own hands (do not overdo it with the amount of bark removed!). Sawdust can also be used if you have it.
Oak bark is usually not burned, but if you infuse homemade alcohol on it, the taste will be too strong. When you add a certain set of additional components, you will get a drink very similar to traditional cognac.
For 3 liters of 50-degree moonshine you will need:
- oak bark - 3 tbsp. spoons;
- spoon of honey;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of St. John's wort and oregano (oregano);
It’s better to take raw materials pharmacy: it is well dried and there is at least some guarantee of the quality of the raw materials. Yes, and you will buy St. John's wort, which is perforated (it is medicinal, which cannot be said about its brothers - rough or tetrahedral). And oregano cannot be confused with thyme.
- allspice - 10 peas;
- 5 cloves;
- a little bit of vanilla and ground coriander.
Mix everything and leave for 2 weeks. No special temperature regime is required; place in a closed cabinet. Shake daily.
First strain the finished drink through a colander or cheesecloth, then filter so that the moonshine on oak bark becomes completely transparent, remaining cognac-colored.
It is convenient to filter any alcoholic beverages through cotton pads twisted into a tube and inserted into the neck of a plastic bottle with a cut off bottom. Choose a 1.5 liter bottle with a long neck that fits deep into the jar and securely holds an improvised filter-watering can.
Imitation whiskey at home
Actually, grain moonshine is already half whiskey; all that remains is to “bring” it to the desired condition.
The best “analogue” of Scotch whiskey will be obtained if you use, but you can get by with regular whiskey. The shade, of course, will be slightly different, but not everyone is a whiskey connoisseur.
Option 1
Making a complete imitation of the drink that the British are so proud of is very simple if you properly prepare oak pegs, burn them and infuse them with moonshine.
To prepare oak chips for moonshine with your own hands for this recipe, you need to have oak wood without bark. Pieces can be made quite large– so that they just fit into the jar and are no higher than 2/3 of its height.
Wrap each peg tightly in food foil and place on a wire rack or baking sheet. Bake for 3 hours in the oven. Select the temperature depending on the desired taste and aroma:
- 120°C – there will be a slight taste and aroma of oak;
- 150°C – pronounced taste, as with prolonged infusion;
- 200°C – there is a hint of vanilla;
- 220°C – chocolate flavor with a hint of smoke;
- 270°C – almond flavor.
In order for moonshine on oak chips to become completely similar to whiskey, you still need to quickly and along the entire length burn the pegs with a gas torch after removing from the oven.
Place 2 pegs in each jar and fill with homemade strong alcohol (at least 45°, preferably closer to 60°).
In Scotch and Japanese whiskey, the strength can reach up to 70°, but it is drunk exclusively in diluted form. And some types may have only 30 degrees in bottled form, since experts believe that a high degree kills the aroma.
This kind of moonshine is infused in the cellar; the cellar needs from 3 months to a year. Long-term infusion improves the taste.
Option 2
In this recipe, oak bark and moonshine will create a wonderful tandem for high-quality imitation of whiskey. We will infuse moonshine on oak bark with other ingredients.
To make a whiskey tincture on oak bark, it is better to take grain moonshine, or, in extreme cases, sugar moonshine. We'll leave the fruit and grape ones for creation.
Let's take 3 liters of moonshine:
- 3 tbsp. spoons (preferably measured) oak bark. Steam it with boiling water, let it sit for 15 minutes, add salt and fill it with cold water for the same time. Drain the water and you are ready to use.
- 50 g charcoal. You can make it yourself by burning a small log - apple, birch, oak. Grind thoroughly into dust.
- 6 – 8 dried apricots or prunes (can be divided equally).
Now you can make a moonshine tincture on oak bark by mixing all the ingredients.
Important point - the jar should be filled with moonshine to the very neck so that there is no free space and tightly closed. You can even roll it up with a metal lacquered lid.
Whiskey should have a lighter color than cognac, and a long infusion of moonshine on oak bark is not needed, ten to fifteen days is enough. When the drink has acquired a yellow (light brown) color, the process is over: strain it and filter it.
Few people will understand whether the moonshine is aged on oak chips or has been in a barrel for a long time. The taste will acquire softness and notes strongly reminiscent of Scotch whiskey.
Oak is a deciduous tree that can live up to 1000 years. Like any plant with increased vitality, oak contains many unique substances that are useful both for it and for humans.
Chemical composition of wood, acorns and oak bark
Everything in oak is useful - wood, acorns and bark. Most often, folk and scientific medicine use the medicinal properties of oak bark, but its fruits and wood are also used.
Everyone knows that some medicinal drinks and cognacs are aged in oak barrels; thanks to the interaction with oak wood, they acquire new wonderful properties.
Roasted and crushed acorns are used as a coffee substitute and used to treat nervous and gastrointestinal diseases.
All parts of oak contain tannins, but in different quantities. Most of them are in the bark - about 20%, in acorns - 7-8%, in leaves even less. The tannins present in oak bark belong to the pyrogallic group; they interact with proteins and form a protective film that protects tissues from irritation, stops inflammatory processes, and reduces pain.
It is noteworthy that some of these substances received the name “tanning” from the word “oak”. At their core, these are substances of organic origin, soluble in water and having a delicate aroma. It is thanks to them that tinctures and decoctions from bark and oak chips have astringent properties.
Acorns for use in medicine or for livestock feed are collected as they ripen, the bark is cut only from young branches, leaves and branches are harvested in the summer, and wood chips are harvested all year round during logging.
Healing properties of oak
Oak bark and chips have a hemostatic, astringent, anti-inflammatory and soothing effect, thanks to these properties they have found their use in medicine.
Infusions and decoctions of oak bark and wood chips are taken orally to treat gastrointestinal diseases, internal bleeding, liver and spleen diseases. Externally, preparations from bark and oak chips are used for rinsing the mouth, for enemas for diarrhea, hemorrhoids and dysentery, for douching for thrush and cervical erosion.
The wound-healing and antiseptic properties of oak are also used in cosmetology; plant extracts are included in creams and toothpaste for treating gums.
How to make a tincture on oak bark?
It is not at all difficult to make an alcohol or water tincture using oak bark. We offer you several recipes according to which you can make a healing potion with your own hands without any problems.
Recipe 1.
Tincture of oak bark with vodka. Take 50 grams of crushed oak bark and 1 liter of purified vodka or alcohol diluted to 50%. Mix these ingredients in a glass container and let it brew in a cool, dark place for 1 week.
Then strain and pour into another bowl.
Application: alcohol infusion of oak bark can be used for mouth rinsing for stomatitis, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and for gargling for sore throat. For these purposes, the tincture must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1X3.
For dysentery and diarrhea, oak tincture should be drunk 15-20 drops 30 minutes before meals, the tincture can be washed down with water.
For gastritis and stomach ulcers, it is better not to use alcohol tinctures; prepare water decoctions and infusions on bark or oak chips for these purposes.
Recipe 2.
Homemade cognac. From ordinary, but high-quality vodka, you can make tasty and healthy homemade cognac from the following products:
- 500 ml vodka;
- 2 tablespoons of rose hips;
- 2 tablespoons of hawthorn berries;
- 3 clove caps;
- 2 tsp oak bark;
- 1 tsp dry brewing of black tea;
- 1 sprig of St. John's wort;
- 1 tsp Sahara.
Place the dry ingredients in a two- or three-liter jar, fill with vodka or alcohol, close the lid tightly and put in a cool, dark place, not necessarily in the refrigerator. The tincture should stand for at least 1 month, or even more. The jar will need to be shaken from time to time. The longer it infuses, the tastier the drink will be. If you wish, you can add other spices to the jar - ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander. Sugar can be replaced with honey.
When the drink is infused, it will need to be strained and poured into beautiful bottles and decanters. Well, you will find a use for it yourself.
Recipe 3.
Alcohol tinctures are not for everyone, and not everyone likes them. A good replacement for them are water infusions or decoctions with oak bark or wood chips. For example, you can make coffee from acorns.
1 tsp Brew 250 ml of boiling water of fried and crushed acorns, add sugar. Divide into three parts and drink three times a day for chronic colitis.
Recipe 4.
Infusion of oak bark. Pour 250 grams of dried oak bark into 1.5 liters of water, put on fire and bring to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes, let cool and brew. This is a decoction for external use - strain it and use it as a bath for colds.
Using oak chips for tinctures
Everything is clear with the bark - it has long been used to prepare all kinds of infusions, tinctures and decoctions, and humans have accumulated enough experience in its use. With oak chips things are somewhat more complicated, but they are also easy to do. To make a tincture on wood chips, you first need to reduce the amount of tannins in them, which can ruin the taste. The wood chips are soaked and then heat treated.
Take a dry log, peeled from the bark, and chop it into bars 10 cm long and 2x2 cm thick. Soak the wood chips in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water every 8 hours.
Pour the soaked blanks with soda solution. To prepare it, 1 tablespoon of soda will be enough for 5 liters of water; soak the wood chips for another 6 hours. Then rinse the wood chips with running water.
Place the wood chips in a saucepan, add water and boil over low heat for 45-50 minutes, drain the water, and rinse the wood chips with cold water.
Dry the workpiece in a draft for 10-20 hours, then place it on a baking sheet and place it in an oven preheated to 150 degrees for 2 hours. The wood chips should be browned.
The dried wood chips also need to be fried on the grill or in the microwave. The taste and aroma of the drink will depend on the degree of burning of the wood chips. A light roast (when the first smoke appears) will give the drink a fruity, floral or vanilla aroma. Medium (the appearance of smoke and a strong smell) will give the cognac the aroma of almonds, caramel, and spices. High firing, when the wood chips begin to change color, will saturate the drink with a smoky and chocolate aroma.
When the wood chips are ready, you need to add them to vodka or alcohol. For 2 liters of alcohol you will need 50-60 grams of wood chips. Cover the container with the tincture with a lid and put it in a cool, dark place for 4-5 months. You can regulate the infusion time yourself - the taste of the drink will change gradually, and all this time you can taste it and stop the process at any time.
When the drink is ready, strain it and store it in a dark, cool place for another 4-5 days. Oak chips or oak chips for making homemade cognac can be purchased in online stores. Oak chips can be replaced with cherry or apple wood, and the taste of the drink will be the same.
