home → Second courses What is barrel kvass made from? Homemade chicory kvass is an easy recipe for busy people. How to cook quickly with your own hands? Kvass and how it differs from mash

What is barrel kvass made from? Homemade chicory kvass is an easy recipe for busy people. How to cook quickly with your own hands? Kvass and how it differs from mash

Few people know, but carbonated kvass, which tastes exactly like straight from a barrel, can be prepared at home. All you need is water, yeast, citric acid and sugar. As you can see, the ingredients are inexpensive and available.

Kvass is a real Russian drink, it invigorates the body and spirit, and also improves the functioning of almost all systems in the body.

Carbonated kvass prepared at home is an excellent option for fans of this drink; its taste is no different from kvass from a barrel, and you know exactly what is dissolved in the drink. This is much better than store-bought carbonated drinks, prepare kvass at home and take care of your health.

This drink will not only quench your thirst on a hot summer day or any other day, but will also bring benefits and real pleasure.

Kvass, like bread, never gets boring. Prepare this wonderful drink to the delight of your household!

Preparation:

Ingredients:

Water – 3 l.
Yeast – 15 gr.
Citric acid – 2 tsp.
Sugar – 500 gr.
Sugar for frying – 4 tbsp.

1. Pour sugar (4 tbsp) into a dry frying pan and heat, stirring constantly, until it melts and turns into brownish caramel. The darker the tastier.

2. Add 500 grams of sugar to a saucepan or other deep dish, then yeast, warm boiled water and melted sugar.

3. Mix everything well so that all ingredients are completely dissolved in the liquid.
4. Pour kvass into bottles and place them in a warm place in a standing position.

Hello, Zina!

Many people remember Soviet kvass with nostalgia. Let's try to figure out how it was prepared on an industrial scale and whether it is possible to reproduce the inimitable taste of the drink at home.

How was kvass made in the USSR?

The drink that we remember in the eighties was created in the 30s of the last century.
Soviet kvass was produced in 2 stages. The first step was to produce kvass wort. This was the name given to a specific rich “broth”, which was mainly prepared from rye, corn and barley. For ease of transportation, the wort was concentrated (thickened). The resulting product was called KKS. Its production was carried out at several dozen factories in the country.
The second stage was the production of kvass itself, which was produced in hundreds of breweries. The process proceeded as follows: the KKS product was placed in an open container. In addition to the wort, water, yeast and sugar were also added. A day later, the drink was ready and transported to the streets of the locality.
And today, the production of wort - its boiling and condensation - remains approximately the same. It is somewhat reminiscent of the production of boiled condensed milk. Kvass wort, as before, is evaporated under vacuum and provides the bready taste and aroma of a slightly burnt crust of rye bread. This is exactly what we love about kvass.
In order to preserve the characteristic features of the drink, manufacturers today have practically not changed the principles of making kvass. Although today large factories use modern equipment, and this allows them to strictly follow the technology and obtain a stable result - predictable taste and durability.
From all of the above, we can conclude that to prepare kvass “Soviet style” you need to use ready-made kvass wort (look for it in stores).

Try making a drink according to the following recipe - you should get “nostalgic” kvass. Although in earlier times its production was so “approximate” that the final products of different breweries were strikingly different from each other. And our homemade kvass will not only be tasty and carbonated, but also healthy due to live bifidobacteria and enzymes.

For a 5 liter capacity:

Wheat - 3 cups;
Boiled water - 4 l;
Kvass wort - 8 tbsp. l.;
Sugar or honey - 1.5 cups.

Preparation:

Let the wheat germinate. To do this, wash the grain and soak for 10 hours.
Drain the water and rinse the grain again.
Cover with a towel and leave to germinate. This can take from 8 hours to 2 days. It all depends on the grain and the ambient temperature. Wheat that has been sprouted for a long time must be washed so that it does not dry out or become sour.
Seedlings of a couple of millimeters should appear.
Grind the sprouted wheat in a meat grinder.
Pour boiled warm water into a glass container, filling it not completely.
Place the crushed grains in a jar.
Add kvass wort (available in stores) and sugar.
Mix.
If desired, add water if there is room in the container.
Cover the container with a napkin and leave in a warm place. Place it near the battery or put it in a bowl of warm water.
Wait from 8 hours to a couple of days.
Signs of readiness are white foam on the surface of the kvass. You should also try the drink - it should become carbonated and taste reminiscent of the Soviet kvass adored by many.
Carefully strain the drink through cheesecloth into another container.
Cover the kvass with a lid and place in the refrigerator.
The drink is delicious both chilled and warm.
It must be stored in the refrigerator.

This healthy drink of “Soviet” taste can be prepared without using kvass wort, although this ingredient improves the taste of the finished product.

Barrel kvass is one of the most popular drinks in the Soviet Union. Everyone remembers those big yellow barrels and the seller - always in a white robe and cap. And what kvass it was... Foamy, cold even on the hottest day, and definitely delicious. This is not produced now, many believe.

Actually this is not true. Near Minsk, in the village of Atolino, they still make kvass according to Soviet GOST. And they sell it in the same large barrels on the streets of the capital.

Sputnik correspondents visited the enterprise and dispelled many myths about the soft drink.

Secrets of housewives

The enterprise that produces barrel kvass is seasonal and operates only in the summer. Therefore, it is impossible to say that this business brings in a lot of money.

But Gennady Belov, head of the Artel-Food company, continues to do this.

“Simply because I love kvass very much,” he says.

Gennady Belov dreams of reviving the sale of natural kvass “as if from a barrel”

Gennady has a sincerely reverent attitude towards the soft drink. In 2000, when barrels of kvass temporarily disappeared from the streets of Minsk, he and his friends decided to revive the sale of the drink, the source says. We bought a barrel, which was filled at the Krinitsa plant. And after some time they began to prepare a foamy drink themselves.

The production of kvass is actually simple, notes Gennady Belov.

“You just need to mix the ingredients in a certain sequence and leave the drink to ferment. We leave it for a day,” says the entrepreneur.

The minimum fermentation period for kvass is 12 hours. But each manufacturer has its own “habits”. Those who want to produce “young” kvass, that is, light in taste, leave it to ferment for 12 hours. Others increase the period.

“There are no secrets in making kvass. Recipes can be found on the Internet, there are GOST standards. We are not the only ones who prepare the drink according to the Soviet recipe. However, each manufacturer still has its own taste,” continues Gennady Belov.

The entrepreneur explains: there is no magic or deception in this. It’s just that kvass, like any culinary dish, turns out special and unique for each “housewife”.

“Even our drink comes with different shades. In this matter, absolutely everything matters: the weather, and even the mood of the person who prepares it,” the interlocutor admits.

No "chemistry"

Kvass at the Artel-Food enterprise is made according to GOST, that is, they use the same set of ingredients as before. Fans of the draft drink can be sure: there is no “chemistry” in it.

“First, water is heated to 100°C, then mixed with kvass wort, sugar, yeast. All this ferments for 24 hours. Finally, citric acid is added,” Gennady Belov shares the secret of the simple production.

Before serving in a barrel, kvass is cooled to 7-8°C. To do this, it is passed through a special cooler.

Modern kvass really does taste different from Soviet kvass, the entrepreneur admits. The fact is that the taste habits of society change over the years. Today, consumers want to receive a product with a more pronounced aroma and taste. Therefore, manufacturers, including Artel-Food, have to adjust the ratio of ingredients. For example, use more kvass wort.

“Soviet kvass was a purely soft drink. It was as neutral as birch sap. Now people find it simple and tasteless. Therefore, kvass is made to have a denser taste. They try to carbonate it more,” notes Gennady.

“But there is another point - nostalgia. Everything that happened in the past seems better. In fact, taste sensations are erased over time. Therefore, many have forgotten what Soviet kvass was like,” he adds.

No mice

And in Soviet times, many myths were born around barrel kvass. Buyers did not “find” anything at the bottom of the barrel: mice and other living creatures. Similar rumors circulated around almost every barrel.

However, this has nothing to do with reality, notes Gennady Belov. All barrels are thoroughly washed before serving kvass.

“At our enterprise, we deal with this issue ourselves. The barrel is washed inside with steam at 100°C using high-pressure technology. Then it is washed with a disinfectant and cold water. After filling, the barrel is closed with a lid and a seal is hung. A quality certificate is issued,” says Gennady Belov.

The quality of the product and its storage conditions are checked by employees of the sanitation station.

“According to sanitary requirements, each barrel must have a quality certificate that can be examined by any buyer. It indicates when the drink was poured into it and where it was brought from,” says the interlocutor.

The buyer can check the freshness of a soft drink by its taste: if it tastes bitter, it means it was sold stale.

There has been controversy over the shelf life of kvass for a long time. It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. Various factors play a role here: how much the drink was fermented, at what temperature it was poured into the barrel and stored, says Belov. But on average, kvass from a barrel is good for up to five days, adds the agency’s interlocutor.

Lost incentive

Another myth concerns the fact that kvass can heat up in a barrel.

“Many buyers still come and touch the barrel: “It’s hot, we’re leaving,” says Gennady Belov.

In fact, even in Soviet times, each barrel had thermal protection that kept the cold in.

But it’s true that kvass contains alcohol. But this is the norm for any product that contains yeast.

“Even kefir has a small proportion of alcohol. I would say: there should be alcohol in kvass, since this is one of the indicators that there has been fermentation. That is, the drink is natural. In Belarus, no more than 1.2% alcohol content in kvass is allowed.” , says the entrepreneur.

Despite its naturalness, barrel kvass is losing popularity. As the entrepreneur notes, if eight years ago distributors came to them to refuel and took up to 900 liters of the drink in one barrel, now this figure is a maximum of 150 liters.

“Kvass distributors don’t want to invest in the business. Every year the Minsk City Executive Committee says that there will be no barrel kvass in the city. Then it cancels the decision. The distributors simply have no incentive to change anything for the better,” says the interlocutor.

“It’s a pity that we are losing such a good tradition. I’m sure that if the sellers were dressed in white coats and caps, and the barrels were painted, kvass would again become a brand, as before. Buyers would definitely flock to it,” he adds.

Gennady wants to revive the sale of natural kvass. The company released the first batch of the drink in a bottle, which arrived in Atolino stores. This kvass, like barrel kvass, is prepared without any “chemicals” and is good for only five days. Time will tell how popular it will be.

Kvass is a very ancient drink. The first prototypes, which were something between kvass and beer, appeared in Egypt back in the third millennium BC. Fruit kvass was known in Babylon.

Until the 12th century, kvass in Rus' was stronger and thicker than modern beer. Kvass was considered an alcoholic drink. There was even a word “kvasnik”, which was used to call a drinking person.

In Pushkin’s work “Eugene Onegin” it is said about the Larin family: “They needed kvass like air.”

There are several varieties of kvass. It can be bread, cracker, malt, okroshka, fruit, berry, milk, honey.

Barrel kvass began to be produced in the Soviet Union in the 1930s. In the USSR, kvass consumption per person was up to 60 liters per year. Today this figure is several times lower.

Barrel kvass for Minsk is produced by two enterprises. One is located in Atolino, the second is in Smolevichi.

Homemade kvass according to this recipe turns out to be sharp and sweet, very tasty. Exactly the same as they used to be sold in barrels. Nothing relieves thirst in hot weather like cold kvass with foam, and even prepared at home without any chemicals. This recipe is surprisingly quick; the kvass will be ready in just 6 hours.

Ingredients:

Water - 5 liters cold;
regular chicory (without fillers) - 2 tbsp;
citric acid - 1 tsp;
sugar - 450-600 grams (depending on how you like it);
dry yeast - 6 grams (about half a small pack).

Homemade kvass. Step by step recipe

Mix water with sugar, add chicory, put on fire and bring to a boil. Before the water boils, add citric acid.
When it boils, turn it off immediately and let it cool.
When the water is slightly warm, add the yeast.
Cover with gauze and leave in a warm place for 3-4 hours. If the house is not very warm, it would be better to leave the kvass overnight, then it will turn out sharper.
After 4 hours, foam should appear, then the kvass is ready, you can try it, only it is not cold and not so tasty.
But when you cool it in the refrigerator, then kvass turns out just right!

A refreshing, tonic and invigorating homemade drink. We recommend everyone to cook it, it will be delicious!

In the summer, most of us remember that it would be nice to drink a glass of sour, foamy wine.

A store-bought product raises reasonable doubts, and cooking it yourself requires ingredients that are not always on hand.

Homemade chicory kvass, the recipe we offer, is ideal for city residents. It will take a minimum of time to prepare in the morning, and in the evening, when you return from work, you will receive a portion of a healthy, refreshing drink.

Chicory is not very popular and is undeservedly forgotten. Once it was added to coffee for color, now ground roasted root is used to replace the favorite drink for those for whom caffeine is contraindicated. Not everyone likes the taste of chicory, but in kvass it is less noticeable, and the beneficial properties of the drink are a powerful argument in favor.

Useful substances:

About 10% inulin polysaccharide is a natural sugar substitute that does not increase blood glucose levels.
Plant protein is a source of energy.
Thiamine is good for the heart and digestion.
Ascorbic acid is needed for the body's defenses, vascular elasticity and maintaining muscle tone.

Ingredients and general cooking rules

Homemade chicory kvass does not require special tools, starter cultures, hops or other ingredients common to kvass.

You need to stock up:

Instant or ground chicory.
Dry or fresh yeast.
Sugar.
Clean drinking water.
Glass jars and bottles for the finished drink.

Additives to the required components give the finished product a taste that you like.

Note! You need to take care of the fermentation temperature.

Find a warm place for the container with the future drink without direct sunlight, because if the yeast ferments (usually this happens in the sun), you will get mash.

Homemade kvass recipes

With citric acid

Ingredients:

water - 5 l;
instant or ground chicory - 50 g;
granulated sugar - 500 g;
yeast - 50 g;
citric acid - 10 g.

Preparation:

Pour a liter of water into a small bowl, add sugar and chicory. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Stirring continuously, brew the syrup. When the liquid begins to thicken a little, remove from heat and let cool.
Mix with remaining water.
Add citric acid.
Dissolve the yeast in slightly warmed water and pour into the sugar syrup.
Cover the container and leave for 2 hours at +20 o C.
Pour into bottles and place in the refrigerator.

With dry yeast

Ingredients:

water - 5 l;
instant chicory - 3 tablespoons;
citric acid - half a teaspoon;
dry yeast - 7 g;
sugar - 300 g.

Preparation:

Mix sugar + citric acid + chicory + dry yeast in a suitable container.
Pour in a liter of 30-degree water and dissolve the components.
Pour in the remaining water and stir.
Cover the container with gauze or cloth and leave for three hours.
Pour the kvass into bottles and cool.

With mint

Ingredients:

water - 5 l;
a bunch of fresh mint or pharmacy mint tincture;
sugar - 400 g;
instant chicory - 5 tbsp. l.;
dry yeast - 1.5 teaspoons;
citric acid - 1 tsp.

Preparation:

Boil water, remove from heat.
Add sugar + chicory + citric acid + mint (tincture). Stir, cover with a lid to let the mint infuse.
In a separate container, pour the yeast with warm water, dissolve and leave to “come to life”.
When the water with mint has cooled to 35 o C, pour the yeast into it, stir and place in a warm place for 3 hours.
It is useful for mint kvass to steep for several hours, then pour into bottles and refrigerate.

With lemon

The kvass turns out delicious, and those who are not keen on chicory will like it - the lemon smell overpowers other flavors.

Ingredients:

water - 5 l;
instant chicory - 1.5 tbsp. l.;
fresh yeast - 50 g;
sugar - 300 g;
lemon - to taste, start with half.

Preparatione:

Dissolve the yeast in warm water.
Pour 5 liters of water into a container, add chicory + sugar + add yeast.
Scald the lemon and chop it finely along with the zest. Wrap this mass in gauze, tie it and dip it in water and ingredients.
Stir, squeeze the lemon.
Pour into bottles and place them in a warm place for three hours.
Cool the finished kvass before use.

Fast

Ingredients:

water - 5 l;
sugar - 300 g;
dry yeast - half an 8-gram bag;
citric acid - 1 tsp;
chicory powder - 4 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast in half a glass of warm water (approx. 30 o C);
Dissolve sugar, citric acid and chicory in a third of the water, add the rest, mix.
Add diluted yeast, stir until smooth.
Kvass should be infused for three hours at normal temperature.

Bread

This recipe is a little more complicated - you will first have to prepare the sourdough starter. The efforts will be justified by excellent results - kvass has a beautiful rich color and bright taste.

Ingredients:

water - 7 l;
dry store-bought sourdough - 7 tbsp. l.;
sugar - 11 tbsp. l.;
dry yeast - 0.5 tsp;
raisins - a handful;
instant chicory - 1 tbsp. l.;
rye crackers - a handful.

Preparation:

Prepare. In a three-liter jar, put 3 tbsp. l. dry kvass + 4 tbsp. l. sugar + dry yeast on the tip of a teaspoon + raisins. Pour 2 liters of warm water, mix well. Cover the neck of the jar with gauze and place in a warm place for 2 days.
Drain the water from the sediment, the grounds at the bottom are the sourdough.
Mix the starter with 2 tbsp. dry kvass + 2 tbsp. l. sugar + 2 liters of water. Leave for another two days.
Drain the liquid from the grounds - this starter is ready for further processing.
Place the starter + 5 tbsp in a 3-liter jar. l. sugar + 2 tbsp. l. dry kvass + 0.5 tsp. dry yeast + chicory.
Fill to the top, stir and place in a warm place for three days.
Drain the finished drink through cheesecloth. The grounds remaining in the jar can be filled with water and you get a new drink.

Advice. Do not pour kvass into bottles to the top - there should be 5 cm of free space between the drink and the lid for the gas that will form during fermentation.

Who should not drink chicory kvass?

The drink with chicory is called red kvass. A tasty drink will not cause harm if you take into account the contraindications:

During fermentation, alcohol is formed in a small concentration, which is not dangerous for an adult. Although the usual kvass strength does not exceed 1.2% vol., in warm conditions fermentation can continue and the alcohol content will increase slightly. Young children and women during pregnancy and breastfeeding are not recommended to drink kvass in large quantities. This caution applies to drivers and people whose work requires quick reactions;
liver problems, high blood pressure, gastritis with high acidity, stomach ulcers, colitis are contraindications for use;
chicory is harmful for hemorrhoids, vascular diseases, varicose veins, chronic bronchitis;
You will have to avoid red kvass if you are allergic to ascorbic acid.

Chicory drink quenches thirst and tones well, but you should not consume it in unlimited quantities. A useful daily dose for an adult is measured in 2-3 glasses.

A homemade drink is certainly tastier and healthier than factory-made sodas. We hope our recipes will be useful and you will share with us your impressions of homemade chicory kvass.

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