Surely there is no such alcoholic products that domestic craftsmen could not cook in a handicraft way. One of these types of alcohol is whiskey. Of course, the taste of “living water,” as this drink is also called, is affected by the place where it is made. However, according to experts, the technology for making whiskey in different countries is almost the same. You can make this alcoholic drink at home. You will learn about the technology of making whiskey at home from this article.
About composition
The technology for making whiskey involves the use of the following basic ingredients:
- Germinated grain. This component is also called malt.
- Yeast.
- Water.
The technology of making whiskey allows the use of caramel or sugar. However, mainly cheap varieties are refueled with these components. Various flavors, colorants and other chemical additives are not used in the manufacturing process of whiskey.
Malt Processing
Before proceeding with the production of "living water" at home, you should familiarize yourself with the technology for making whiskey in Scotland, which is the birthplace of this alcohol. In this country, according to experts, technologists use pure barley. In the United States, the technology for making whiskey is slightly different. For example, the composition is represented by grain mixtures, of which 51% is corn, and the rest is rye, barley, rice and other cereals. At this stage, the malt is taken out of the water and sent to special chambers for drying. In Scotland, namely on the island of Islay, marsh peat is burned, and malt is processed by smoke itself. As a result, whiskey is obtained with a characteristic "smoked" taste and smoky aroma.
About making wort
Purified from impurities, dry malt is sent for testing. Measure its infestation with parasites and the level of humidity. Further, after checking, flour is made from sprouted and dried grain, which is mixed with water. This process is called mashing. Then this grinding is heated in a special brewing boiler. The manufacturing technology of whiskey provides for boiling in several temperature conditions. To form a homogeneous mass maintain a temperature of 38 to 40 degrees. At 55, protein breaks down, at 72 degrees starch is saccharified, at 78 - the formation of the final sugary substances.
About fermentation
Special alcohol yeast is added to the wort contained in wooden or steel tanks. The fermentation procedure itself lasts three days at 37 degrees. In this case, the active reproduction of yeast. At first they will be fed with oxygen, and when it is over, sugar will break down. The winning mash undergoes double or triple distillation in a copper distillation cube - alambike. Copper removes sulfurous taste from alcohol and creates the conditions for chemical reactions, after which Scotch whiskey has vanilla, chocolate and nutty notes.
Stainless steel alambiki can also be used. The first distillation gives a 30-degree product. A whiskey with a strength of 70 degrees is obtained after repeated distillation. This parameter is reduced to 60 degrees, using soft spring water. Some distilleries use hard water, which contains various trace elements. As a result, whiskey is obtained with a characteristic mineral flavor.
About Excerpt
To keep whiskey, oak barrels are provided, in which sherry was previously stored. Cheap varieties are aged in bourbon containers. Scotland has an average of 5 years. There are also varieties that are in barrels for several decades. According to experts, the longer the period, the higher the price of alcohol.
On the manufacture of artisanal
Making whiskey in Scotland is like home brewing. The only difference is that there is one additional procedure, which lasts for six months. It consists in insisting on oak wood. If you are not satisfied with such a production of home-made whiskey and you want to make an alcoholic drink faster, then you can use the following recipe. Its essence lies in the fact that alcohol is bred to a 50-degree fortress, and then insisted in oak barrels for only 10 days. This recipe for making whiskey does not exclude the filtering procedure. They mainly resort to it, if the taste of the alcoholic product is not satisfied.
Where to begin?
The technology for making whiskey at home includes several stages. At the very beginning you need to prepare sawdust. They should be poured with boiling water and in this form they should stand for an hour. Then the broth is drained, and the sawdust is treated with cold water. After a day, the water is removed, and the wood is left in the sun to dry.
Ingredients
Those who are going to make whiskey at home should get the following components:
- Barley malt. It needs 8 kg.
- 32 l of spring or carefully filtered water. Use boiled water experts do not advise.
- 300 g of pressed yeast. If there were none at hand, dry ones (50 g) will do.
Barley is used to make the highest quality single malt whiskey. According to experts, you can also do the preparation of two and three-component alcoholic beverages.
To do this, you need different types of malt. Good whiskey is obtained from barley, rye, corn and wheat malt.
First step
First you need to grind the malt so that it is in the form of cereals. Small particles of the peel can be left. At this stage, your task is simply to break the grains into several small pieces. It is important not to overdo it, otherwise the malt will turn into flour. It is best for a beginner to acquire ground malt.
Next, in a large metal container, you need to heat the water to 70 degrees. Cooked cereals are then poured into this bowl and mixed with a wooden mallet or stick. If everything is done correctly, you will get a homogeneous mixture without lumps.
After that, the wort is put on fire again and brought to 65 degrees. To maintain a stable temperature inside the container, the vessel should be tightly closed. Warm her for an hour and a half. During this time, the mixture is stirred every 15 minutes. At the very end, the upper part of the wort will become light, and the thick will settle to the bottom. Heating is necessary in order for the saccharification process to begin. Its essence is that starch is broken down into dextrins (soluble substances) and sugar. Already during the fermentation, sugar will be processed by yeast into alcohol. According to experts, the saccharification procedure is possible only at temperatures from 61 to 72 degrees. If the temperature indicator goes beyond this, then the process will stop and you will not be able to resume it.
When the wort is heated to the desired temperature, it is cooled in cold water to 25 degrees. This should be done quickly to prevent the propagation of foreign organisms in the nutrient medium, which can lead to souring of the product.
Yeast
This ingredient must be diluted following the instructions on the package. Now you need a fermentation tank, which is filled with chilled wort, seasoned with yeast and mixed. This vessel must be equipped with a water seal and left in a dark room with a temperature of no higher than 25 and no lower than 18 degrees. Fermentation lasts from 3 to 14 days. It all depends on the quality of the raw materials and the temperature in the room.
The water shutter is removed daily, and the mash is mixed with a wooden stick. Of course, this can be done with clean hands. If you see that the water seal has not been bubbling for a couple of days, and the wort has become lighter, then taste it. If everything is done correctly, the wort will be bitter and without sweetness.
About distillation
At this stage, the mash is poured into a distillation cube through a colander. It is necessary to use a colander so that a part of the malt that is not dissolved in the form of grains can be easily separated. If everything is left as is, then during the distillation, these pellets will burn, as a result of which the whiskey will be bitter.
Next, the resulting mash is distilled on a moonshine still. As a result, you get 6 liters of 40-degree barley moonshine. During the first distillation, the yield does not need to be divided into fractions of “tails”, “heads” and “body”. Now you should measure the strength of the product, as well as the amount of alcohol in it. The resulting distillate is diluted with water (up to 20%) and proceed to re-distillation.
The first 12% alcohol obtained at the output is called “head”; they are fractions with harmful substances. This quantity of products should be poured into a separate bowl. If this recommendation is neglected, then home-made whiskey will have an unpleasant taste. In addition, you risk harming your health. The main fraction is being collected, which is called the “body” among moonshiners. On average, you should get about 3-4 liters.
If you want to get high-quality distillate, you can apply the third distillation. In this case, at the exit from the "body" merge 3% of the products. Judging by numerous reviews, the third distillation due to its complexity is used very rarely.
Infusion
Now grain moonshine should be infused with oak wood. There are two ways to do this. Some masters acquire an oak barrel, which is filled with distillate. Alcohol is aged in the basement for six months. The second method involves the use of oak pegs.
According to experts, the first method is considered the best. However, they rarely resort to it. The easiest way to work with oak pegs. They are preferably 350 mm in diameter and made of 50-year-old oak. Experts do not recommend using bark, sawdust and shavings, since the large amount of tannins will make the taste of whiskey tougher.
Distillate is necessary in banks or other glass containers. Already treated with boiling water and cold water, and then dried in the sun, oak pegs are laid so that they fully fit in the vessel. On average, up to 15 pieces per vessel. Now, distillate is poured into each container and tightly closed with a lid. In this form, the vessel should stand in the basement for at least six months. If the exposure lasts longer, homemade whiskey will turn out with an improved taste.
Filtration
After six months or 12 months, the cans of alcohol are taken out of the basement and filtered. Do this with gauze filters. After that, the whiskey is bottled and tightly corked for better storage. There are several recipes for making whiskey at home, more on which below.
First way
This technology is the manufacture of whiskey from homemade moonshine. For work you will need the following ingredients:
- Moonshine with a strength of 45 degrees. It will take 3 liters.
- Three tablespoons of oak bark.
- Charcoal (50 g).
- Prunes or dried apricots (up to 10 berries).
Oak bark can be bought at the pharmacy. Judging by the reviews, many craftsmen make their own charcoal from fruit trees, oak or birch.
Progress
If you think that moonshine is too strong, then dilute it to 45 degrees. Whiskey itself is not diluted, as this will adversely affect its taste and aromatic properties. Next, you need to grind charcoal into dust. Then oak bark is steamed: first, the wood will stand for 10 minutes in boiling water, and then 15 minutes in cold water. After the bark is dried. A pre-prepared container is filled with already treated wood, dried apricots (or prunes) and ground charcoal.
Next, the vessel is filled with moonshine and tightly closed. Alcohol is aged in a dark and cool place for two weeks. After this period the jar is opened and tasted. At the very end, alcohol is filtered through a cotton-gauze filter.
Second option
Making whiskey from moonshine at home in this way is a more time-consuming process. The essence of the method is to simulate the aging of the distillate in an oak barrel. First, from small oak slats or boards, several small pieces are cut. Then they are wrapped in foil and put in the oven for roasting. It is important that no open areas remain on the wood. Otherwise, you will greatly smoke the room, which you will then air for several days.
The roasting procedure will take you no more than three hours. The temperature can be very different. It all depends on what flavor you want to give whiskey. For example, when frying the bars at 120 degrees, the final alcohol product will have a light aroma, 150 - more pronounced. At 250 degrees, the drink will turn out with vanilla smoky notes, 270 with almond flavor.
There are three pieces per three liter jar. A vessel with wood inside is filled with distillate and tightly closed. Now moonshine should brew in a dark cool place. Filter the alcohol after four months.