How to make Authentic Russian Kvass (Only 3 Ingredients!)

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks for watching, commenting, liking, and/or subscribing! Consider joining as a channel member and supporting the channel, any support is hugely appreciated! kzbin.info/door/GnaVxvWBT97ursRIZGXgAAjoin

[@daisymillerable]

How does this not have more views this is the most authentic kvass recipe in English

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thank you very much!

[@hammothw4814]

more traditional uses rye starter, more active cultures for health

[@zhenyafedorets4225]

@@hammothw4814what would you do did rent to make it more traditional? I have been looking for a way to replicate the kvas I had when I was a kid from those yellow kvas barrels

[@hammothw4814]

@@zhenyafedorets4225 just as i said, need to add rye/sourdough starter, and Borodinsky bread is best to use, or natural rye bread with no additives or oils. can also substitute birch syrup or honey for sugar, but is not a big difference....birhc syrup is most traditional. and if you use raisons, they need to be completely raw with no coating or preservatives. (most raisins in the store are coated with unwanted oils or preservatives.) and the bread that you used should have been used with starter, true fermented bread. that is the best traditional method.

[@francoviolencia1488]

@@hammothw4814 Hello. I have rye sourdough and want to give it a try. May I just dump a bunch of it inside the kvass mixture or do I need to make some additional stuff?

[@FactualPine3]

My friend worked for a few years with a Serbian colleague and when she left, she offered him some abbey wine and a bottle of kvass. We drank it together and since then I've fallen madly in love with this beverage. I was about to go and buy some at the eastern grocery store when I saw your video. Thank you so much!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I hope it turns out well!

[@paulovp789]

One of the most delicious and healthy drinks that I have tried. I have even started to study Russian lol

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Amazing!

[@zvonkobogdan9634]

and a huge process to make it... i always wondered why in shops here it was quite expensive. Now i see

[@dantealighieri1265]

@@zvonkobogdan9634 I mean, it is not as bad of a process than some homemade liquors, which takes weeks or months to make^^

[@anatoly5877]

I like very much the composed attitude and clear explanation. Classy, soothing, really.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thank you very much!

[@caroldemort3269]

My husband is Russian and I’m making this for him to feel some taste of his home :)

[@NikitaVorontsov]

That’s wonderful! Let me know how it turns out :)

[@Bwalston910]

How did it turn out?

[@NyonyaB]

How did it turn out?

[@caroldemort3269]

@@NyonyaB it worked perfectly! It tastes different than store bought but just like the ones you can buy on street stands in the winter ❤️

[@drik79]

Nice to see you are going for the Slavic look 😊. On the matter of Kvass, I've made mine last year with Fries ryebread (only dark rye, no wheat). Also added lime in a second batch.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Haha that was entirely unintentional! That was my standard morning look 😅 Dark Rye sounds really nice, with added lime also is a good shout! You can add lemon or honey as well for a lovely refreshing flavour!

[@Thallishman]

Did you toast the Fries Rye bread?

[@drik79]

@@Thallishman no, but I think it could have benefited from it. A little more caramel flavour.

[@ValTek_Armory]

I tried kvass recently and I quite like it! Definitely a refreshing beverage for summertime!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Totally agree!

[@Jacobverner-y9w]

Ваше произношение и манера речи - услада для ушей. Успехов в творчестве!

[@TheApartmentBrewer]

This is so cool!! Only the second time I've ever heard about this particular drink. Great video!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks! Kvass is definitely a drink worth making, really easy to make, very tasty, and somewhat healthy if lower on sugar!

[@pwnubs]

Great video, I'll be giving this a go as well. I've made two batches of kvass with yeast so far and I'm stoked to see how it turns out "all natural".

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks so much! Sounds great let me know how it goes! It’s a cool way of doing it with the natural yeast from the bread and raisins!

[@pwnubs]

@@NikitaVorontsov It turned out great, this is going to be the foundation for future kvass experiments for sure. Thanks again

[@NikitaVorontsov]

@@pwnubs that’s fantastic! Glad to hear it :)

[@diegovargas8318]

Great guide dude, I love fermented foods so I'll be sure to try this one!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks so much! Let me know how it goes :)

[@TheBruSho]

I’ve always wanted to do this, will be giving it a try!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

That's fantastic! Keep me updated when you do give it a go! I'd love to see how it goes :)

[@camillorota]

Thanks for the video. I just tried it out and it is absolutely delicious. I also fancy, that I don't need other yeast than from the raisins. Congrats dude, you got a new subscriber.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I'm so glad it came out well, thank you!

[@comradequicheairsoft2742]

What raisins did you use? I've tried this recipe twice already and no fermentation happens at all. I have read that store bought raisins might have been treated/ have all the yeast removed.

[@camillorota]

@@comradequicheairsoft2742 I have used raisins from the bio market as I already suspected the companies to do that. Since I've been working with wild fermentation, I have only used bio products as they produce the best results.

[@elizabethazamatov6004]

Making this for my husband!!! Thank you

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I love that!

[@praisetheoak]

For anyone wondering, yes, you can make it alcoholic if you add sugar and any kind of yeast. I normally use 125gr of sugar/1gr yeast per Liter for about 8% in ABV. It should be ready as long as it stopped actively fermenting.

[@andrewgalyen1024]

You’ve got me intrigued! I’ll definitely be trying this out for myself.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

That’s great! Let me know how it turns out :)

[@michaelmaharlika8569]

AWESOME, thank you

[@sydneychekulayev7730]

Thank you for not being obnoxious 😅 I have been watching a few instructional videos for kvass and 🤯

[@NikitaVorontsov]

You’re welcome!

[@Bad_Object]

Regular water with out boiling was often biologically contaminated and kvas due to yeast fermentation was a good source of vitamins B and this two main reason for kvas being popular.

[@DoomMistressS]

Followed your recipe, used dried cranberrys instead of grapes, but tasted okay/good. had a lot in common with cider i think, regarding the fermentation taste/smell. a bit bready tasting ofc, since..well, its made with bread. dont really drink alcohol anymore tho, so ended up throwing it away. still nice thing to try, can only recommend

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Glad it came out okay! Bready is good :)

[@poorman-trending]

If you like carbonation then don’t “press it down” as the extra pressure will drive more carbonation into the liquid. Also, use a soda pop bottle which is designed to contained pressurised carbonated fluid.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

The pressing down was more to identify when it's sort of ready, although that's VERY ineffective to tell, just what my grandad does :)

[@martinwarner1178]

Brilliant video, going to have a go at this. Thank you from England.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks! Let me know how it goes :)

[@bcwlkr]

the life of Boris recipe he did a few years ago is similar to this but follows a more traditional path of using rye bread and yeast starter

[@NikitaVorontsov]

This was also rye bread but uses my granddads recipe of using the yeast found on the skin of raisins. Traditional recipes used to vary by village, with different villages having their own traditions and ways of brewing, eg. I’ve heard of certain places brewing with milled bread, others with rye flour instead of bread itself. Very interesting!

[@bcwlkr]

​@@NikitaVorontsovI ended up making some, and is the cloudy white stuff at the bottom sugar or yeast?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

@@bcwlkr cloudy white will be yeast

[@Srefined]

@@NikitaVorontsov yeast.. dead cells... waste byproducts from fermentation. i used to homebrew beer and did a process of yeast washing to harvest the yeast to use again in another batch.

[@dfw1092]

Great video, super well done and very clear. Can't wait to make it.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks very much!

[@teresastanton1140]

Thank you for the recipe and instructions. My last batch was volitaile 😂 im going to try it again!! My first batch was delicious, its nice to have a drink thats bubbly but not sweet , i really like the flavor of the kvass. Im going to make beet kvass as well it sounds really good too. And good for you !! Thanks again 🤗

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Yeah sometimes they do turn out quite volatile!

[@teresastanton1140]

@@NikitaVorontsov ❤️🇨🇦❤️

[@natebender4740]

Nikita, awesome video. Definitely going to make some kvass now. That shirt is awesome too, where is it from?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks so much! Definitely do and let me know how it goes :) The shirt is from a band I really like - Batushka (БАТЮШКА) - A Polish Black Metal band that sing in Old Church Slavonic :)

[@natebender4740]

@@NikitaVorontsov Thanks! Thats awesome 🤘 I will gladly let you know how it turns out. Theres an excellent bakery by my house that has a great rye that I plan to use.

[@HOMEBREW4LIFE]

stay on the grind braj!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks man! 👊🏻

[@hengyuesu8535]

KBAC Is one of my favorite drinks!

[@Xantophia]

One massive like just for your Tshirt!!! :D

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Haha thanks man

[@tricosteryl]

Thanks seems to be the more realistic kvas recepee here

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks!

[@coenvanwinkelhoff2070]

Hi Nikita, trying your recipe right now. Super exciting to find out what it will taste like. Unfortunately, there was only rye bread with raisins. Lets see what happens!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Good luck! You never know might end up quite nice :)

[@coenvanwinkelhoff2070]

So, I had two attempts. One with the bread I could find and one with real rye bread. Both failed. The first was all moldy before I could even pour it into the bottle, the next one never started to ferment. Could it be that not all raisins have this natural yeast?

[@PSimonsen]

Thats one to try. What about wholegrain ryebread ? Which is really popular in Germany and Denmark (schwarzbrot)

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Personally I reckon that would work really well too, especially since it takes a bit longer to get a good char going, I reckon the colour will also be a lot better!

[@cultshakere]

in Denmark blackbread/rye bread is eaten everyday and has been for hundred of yearst

[@dru672]

I made some delicious , but kinda want some to buy too ... what is your opinion for the best bottled kvass you can buy on the market / internet ?

[@The_Invisible_Hand_Of_CV]

Kvass is excellent with a squeeze of lemon added. It is truly great unless you really dislike good-tasting things. Carbonation happens far faster at room temp. It makes far less than zero sense to carbonate under refrigeration no matter what anyone says.

[@diegoloncopan4513]

Thanks for sharing the recipe Nikita, yesterday I baked my sourdough rye bread so I will try it this week! I want to ask you if we can keep the leftover after straining the kvass? Maybe as preferment for the next batch.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

No problem Diego :) hope you enjoy, unfortunately I’ve never tried to keep the leftovers so can’t comment on that

[@diegoloncopan4513]

@@NikitaVorontsov Ok thanks! I will try ;)

[@jereksliwinski2789]

Thank you sir 👍 🍺

[@NikitaVorontsov]

🙏🏻

[@stuartbetts6626]

Hi Nikita, I wondered what sort of raisins you used. Most seem to have either preservatives or Sunflower oil added. Would like to make sure I don't make sweet bread soup instead. TIA

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Hey! So I’d definitely stay away from preservatives 100% since that’ll just have any wild yeast killed. I used some basic 100% pure sun roasted raisins, no preservatives, no oils.

[@dorianblue4229]

Hi, about raisins i used some and can't be sure now but i think they did have some oil but i didnt mind too much and it worked - didnt affect the process nor the taste. In fact, also the bread could have some oily compounds, in small amount. I made kvas also with rye + oat seed bread, and it was kinda oily - all good by me. But i do have a cautinary attitude towards raisins because it seems to me, as a fruit they add that taste of cider that i don't dislike, but don't go crazy for, either. I'm about to set at work right now for a batch of kvas without raisins. With some blackstrap molasses and honey and rye malt instead. It shoudl turn out more like market kvas, which is more like dark beer/coca cola (though still VERY different, ok). But no cider taste. In fact, the kvas one buys from traditional producers, has no raisins in the process. *not* saying the video here isnt good - it is great and almost all the videos i came across from, say, usual people, do use raisins to help fermentation. I'm just going to try the other way :) cheers :)

[@pkkitchen6287]

Outstanding ❤️👍

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@spor2428]

Paylaşımınız için teşekkürler. Turbo maya ile beraber bir de maya besini satılıyor, ikisini beraber kullanmanın olumlu etkisi olur mu?

[@habibaetchezar38]

Hi! I have a question. I made kvas a few days ago, using another recipe, and I put some yeast (just a little). But when I tasted it, I can feel alcohol. It was because of the yeast I used? the raisins dont have yeast? I thought that the alcohol was because I leave the kvas too much days (3 or 4) but I now see that you leave it even more and doesnt have alcohol... Thank you!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I would say it depends on how much extra sugar you add and the kind of yeast you use. Raisins have natural wild yeasts on them and will ferment sugar into alcohol, however this is why you don’t want to use too much sugar. Raisins also produce a small amount of nitrogen for yeast to have a healthy fermentation which again reduces that “hot alcohol” feeling you might get!

[@habibaetchezar38]

@@NikitaVorontsov Thank you! I will try using less sugar, and no chemical yeast. 🙌🏽

[@NikitaVorontsov]

@@habibaetchezar38 definitely do try :) let me know how it goes!

[@dorianblue4229]

Habiba Etchezar if i may add one extra thing here, i've read in one comment on another video, one guy saying beer/wine yeast takes longer to ferment, but produces more alcohol (it depends on how active the yeast keeps, before ending its own fermentation process), unlike bread yeast that starts fast but - he writes - stops/doesnt produce much alcohol (This is just an add, or actually a question, to what Nikita already says) :)

[@PronounsAreHerMajesty]

Love your shirt. ☦️

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thank you!

[@TodayTestfbsfbsfbs]

The raisins or with snore fermented water from raisins sugar is a good idea, is this more traditional than the use of sourdough? Because I only know the recipe with sourdough.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I’d say traditional is tricky to say as each village had its traditions, some use sourdough others raisins

[@TodayTestfbsfbsfbs]

@@NikitaVorontsov thanks for your answer. i researched a little bit the last days i wrote the commentar, and i also found out that kvass is a ferment everyone is doing it a little bit different.

[@yanazavgorodniaja2825]

In a process ❤

[@BronzeTheSling]

I think tang is the word you were looking for when you said twang. :)

[@NikitaVorontsov]

You’re right that’s exactly what it was, thank you 🙏🏻

[@vizzo7]

wow great video. Can you make kvass from other ingredients? Like Woodruff?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

You can add other ingredients for sure, although bread has to be the base for it to be kvass

[@dominikjuracak6175]

Hello, I have followed this recipe, but when i pour the 2 litres of water into the 500 grams of bread, after it cools down, the bread just sucks in all the water and i have no "free" water left and it is all contained in the bread, but when you go to pour it inside a glass jar, you have like half the water not in the bread, but my is just only wet bread. Should i use less bread or is it okay? Thanks for your help

[@nicoladiiorio8898]

excellent musical taste with that tshirt

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thank you!

[@NugzBugz]

great content

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thank you!

[@monalisasmile6386]

Hello, is this drink will produce alcohol?

[@joliving6837]

If we cant get rye bread is there an alternative

[@NikitaVorontsov]

It's a good question, rye is preferred as it's more traditional but I do wonder if maybe you'd get something similar using some kind of dark, brown bread, and similarly toast it for a while to get it nice and charred.

[@yourlocalkubancossack121]

Nice shirt one of my favorite bands

[@NikitaVorontsov]

🤘

[@mmmkeklol]

Batjuska is dope live.

[@kowya5952]

does this contain alcohol and if so, how much? since you didnt use yeast does it mean theres less alcohol making it this way?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

There’s natural yeast found on the skin of the raisins, and it’s another reason you want to find some without added oils. There will “technically” be a tiny amount of alcohol, but should be within alcohol free limits

[@kowya5952]

@@NikitaVorontsov thanks a lot for the info and quick reply

[@danideboe]

I had the problem that my kvass was totally flat. I did add sugar like in the video. Any idea where I did something wrong?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Sounds like it needed more time to carbonate

[@nadiacinque]

Can I substitute sugar with honey or black strap molasses?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I don’t see why not, you’ll just get a different flavour but ive definitely heard of honey being used in certain villages. Hard Boiled sweets is another sugar source that ive seen used :)

[@ayettista2373]

0:30 It is a bit irresponsible to claim that kvass is a non-alcoholic drink! Where there is sugar fermantation, significant amounts of ethanol is quite likely to form!

[@hejdingamleraev]

I wouldnt say a significant amount but yeah, some alcohol.

[@dvorontsov]

Nice t-shirt 👌

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Спасибо!

[@aperson1181]

Can you use a non-gluten bread?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Don’t see why not, as long as it’s rye bread

[@Srefined]

@@NikitaVorontsov you can use beets too. beet kvass may not be traditional but is also good.

[@Invert_Scrub]

If I wanted to store the kvass, does it last forever if properly sealed?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Well I wouldn't say forever, but it definitely lasts a while. In my opinion fresher is better

[@DanielleBlanchardArts]

What does it taste like? I made pear kvass, but bread?

[@arealoldname8461]

When I made Kvass (with white wheat bread) it tasted very much like Yakult probiotic drink. Tangy, like Nikita says in the video. I think different bread will affect the flavour.

[@Nordic404]

Isnt kvass usually a black drink?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Yea and no, most commercial brands are just a type of molasses with flavouring. Typically the black colour would come from very roasted black bread

[@MamaOv2Monkies]

Is the gluten from the bread eaten by the bacteria? Thus making this drink gluten-free?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Unfortunately I can't quite say on that. I'd err on the side of caution and assume possibly not. Depends on the bread used!

[@benjamin3044]

Kvass and is that a Vostok I see?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Nautica actually! But good eye! :)

[@TomekLiteracki]

Napój starszy niż średniowiecze ale używa się rafinowanego cukru i drożdży. Kiedy rozpoczęto produkcję rafinowanego cukru i drożdży?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Technically speaking humans have always known that "something" ferments things, eg. in the case of raisins or grape skins. The fermented sugar is more just to up the abv a little bit, not needed at all. At its heart its just bread water that has had raisins thrown in, left in a warm place for a bit and magically fermented!

[@marciosandre]

Thanks! Nikita. Am Brazilian, starting in the world of making my own probiotics, surely will incorporate Kvass to the Latin Tropics as well. Cheers, Buddy.

[@Bad_Object]

American made raisins will be treated with sulphates to prevent mold and may not have natural yeasts on them because of that.

[@majestic._]

This explains the lack of reaction in my brew lmao

[@Bad_Object]

@@majestic._ You may need to look for imported raisins or actually use yeasts.

[@Bad_Object]

@@majestic._ Even fresh grapes from Peru got treated with sulphites. You need other sources of yeasts.

[@majestic._]

@@Bad_Object there's some evidence of fermentation but next time I'll just use yeast and skip the guesswork

[@Bad_Object]

@@majestic._ sulfites do not kill yeasts completely, but damage them and can affect their growth, aka fermentation process, depending on their resistance to them. Recepie is historicaly accurate, but for that to work you probably need to find proper organic raisins.

[@Last-Outrider]

All these recipes show the kvass being made with the bread and in the jar. I have never done that. You boil the bread and sugar to make the wort and and bottle the liquid then drop in raisins, I prefer ginger, and that's it. I even booil the bread in slices so I don't need a strainers. It nis so much simpler than all this transferring steps.

[@katritter6482]

So why are you putting the bread in?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

The bread acts like when you put malt, wheat etc into beer for fermentation, it has natural sugars as well as provides the taste.

[@markiobook8639]

HAROSHO SPASIBO BOLSHOI

[@madeinussr7551]

Thank you for the revipe. The hardest thing in the states is finding good dark or black bread. Ill see if i can find dark flour . Have a good one

[@DominikKoza-v4h]

Väčšie svinstvo som nevidel.

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

The person who originally invented it must have done so out of pure accident. I can’t think of why someone would intentionally soak break in water and drink it afterwards.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Oh yeah agreed!!

[@mgord9518]

Someone might have also been experimenting to see if they could make "beer" out of bread instead of malted grain

[@undefinednull5749]

so you say that you use the raisins to add the yeast that they have.. Can't you omit the damn raisins??

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Yeah if you aren't a raisin fan you can just add regular yeast instead too

[@undefinednull5749]

@@NikitaVorontsov .. :/. I want to not add any external yeast. Only the naturally occurring wild yeast on the beetroots. Is that not the original recipe before adding raisins and/or man-made yeast?

[@arealoldname8461]

@undefinednull5749 Sounds like you're after a vegetable kvass recipe not a bread kvass recipe like in the video. If you only want to use wild yeasts/bacilli, then I have heard of people adding a cabbage leaf to the mixture. If you don't want to add anything at all, I would expect the fermentation to take much longer as there will be less yeast to begin with. Adding some sort of starter - like raisins, yeast, kefir etc - makes the process much more reliable. But, no harm trying without a starter. Good luck.

[@Koraxus]

So beet kvass is fake?

[@NikitaVorontsov]

I wouldn’t say fake, I’ve just never really heard of it, maybe it’s found in certain areas more than others. Traditional Kvass I’ve seen is just with dark rye bread

[@motog4-75]

6 days to get a cold drink 😮

[@drrahilakurdi5943]

It is alcohol 🎉

[@picducklol]

0.5‰ is not alcohol

[@wightclaudia]

NICE SHITT! HAIL KYSTOF!

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Thanks!

[@RandelOland901-ATT]

Kvas is spelled with one "s". The common English translation with two "s" is a misspelling. KBAC = Kvas, the "C" is an "S" in Russian, the "B" is a "V". There's only one.

[@CorgiCorner]

Its not a translation, it is a transliteration. If kvass is a misspelling then so is kvas as you already stated it is spelled “kbac”.

[@CorgiCorner]

You can see that even the water buffalo at 1:07 spells it with double s

[@Ron13579]

Kvass, with double s gives the right pronunciation as in "ass" rather than "as"

[@RandelOland901-ATT]

@@Ron13579 It doesn't tho.

[@RandelOland901-ATT]

@@CorgiCorner That's not how it works. KBAC is the Cyrillic spelling.

[@nikolaiplayz9795]

Kvass isn't communist at all! It was mentioned in the primary chronical describing the celebration of Vladimir the greats baptism in 996

[@NikitaVorontsov]

It’s not communist but it was known as communist Coca Cola because of it’s popularity during the Soviet Union

[@markiobook8639]

Kvass is equivalent to UK "small ales" and the very light Weiss biers and Pilsens of Europe- the only safe way to consume water was with alcoholic content. Imagine how foul Thames and other London river water was (Brent, Fleet, Wandle, Lea, Roding, etc)- full of sewerage (until fairly recently), dead and butchered animals, humans, hospital waste, industrial waste (mainly concentrated animal pee and pooh for tanning and weaving)- revolting. So boiling it with a weak mash, then fermented was the only way to hydrate & stave off illness. Kids used to drink 0.5-2% alcohol standard in UK till the killjoy Puritans and their watered down party pooper Methodists kissing cousins (often literally) ruined everyone's fun

[@NikitaVorontsov]

That's great info thanks!

[@Boddah.]

Kvas* not kvass, one "s" not two.

[@NikitaVorontsov]

Not sure where you’ve seen that as all English sources translate from Russian with 2 s’

[@RandelOland901-ATT]

@@NikitaVorontsov Kvas is actually the proper translation.

[@hammothw4814]

kvass seems to be the norm

[@Boddah.]

@@hammothw4814 Misnomer*

[@hammothw4814]

@@Boddah. maybe, but kvass is much more common, and also used in dictionaries and wikipedia, so i think it will be 'kvass' for some time due to adoption.

[@evabyrne-kr1fz]

get a haircut