Alcoholic turbo yeast Bragman Whiskey (72 gR) for 20-25 liters

Ingredients: Special alcoholic yeast and nutritional salts.

Bragman Whiskey yeast includes all macro and micro nutrients (including nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, and other essential vitamins and minerals) to produce the highest quality malt (grain) mash, both from pure grain and from malt extract. Yeast can be used to ferment pure sugar up to 15% alc. But the best results are achieved when using wheat or barley malt, pure or in combination with malt extract or sugar. All grain worts must be well mashed for the yeast to do its job.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:

• A packet of yeast can be used to ferment 20-25 liters of grain mash.
• When used in sugar mash, yeast can ferment up to 7 kg of sugar to 15% degrees, but it is best to use it when working with pure grain wort or malt extract. Alternatively, you can combine grain wort and malt extract - even just 2 kg of dark malt extract combined with 5.5 kg of sugar (or dextrose) will give a mash with decent "whisky" characteristics
• Prepare 20-25 liters of wort at a temperature of 20-30 C and add the contents of the bag directly there. Mix well and make sure all the contents are dissolved. Leave to ferment at a temperature of 22-28 C.
• Fermentation time is about 7 days. Before distillation, the mash can be cooled and removed from the yeast sediment using an overflow siphon.

Whiskey is a strong alcoholic drink with a recognizable aroma, which is obtained from various grains through fermentation, malting, distillation and long-term storage in oak barrels. But in our time, many drink producers have moved away from the original image of whiskey. Nowadays they use alcoholic yeast for whiskey, liquid phenol is used instead of smoking malt, and you can completely forget about traditional equipment. To taste real whiskey, you can make it at home.

Types of yeast for whiskey

Fermentation, or fermentation, is the process by which yeast converts fructose, sucrose, and glucose into cellular energy, producing byproducts such as ethanol and carbon dioxide. Without yeast it is impossible to prepare any type of alcoholic beverage. When distilling grain, sugar or fruit mash, drinks such as vodka, cognac, and whiskey are obtained. So, what yeast is used to make whiskey nowadays:

• Cook's or baker's yeast (Saf Levure, Voronezhskie, Pakmaya) - they give rapid foamy fermentation in just three days and a good smell of bread. However, the quality of the resulting drink leaves much to be desired, as does the alcohol yield from the product.
• Wine yeast for whiskey ("Primavera", "Multiflor" and others) - this type of yeast gives a slow foamy fermentation from seven to nine days, with a beer-like smell of mash and an excellent alcohol yield. In addition to the release of ethyl, they act in a fairly acidic environment, have a good effect on the overall aromatic and taste qualities of the product and have greater resistance to sulfur dioxide.
• Brewer's yeast. In addition to preparing a foamy drink, they are used for whiskey mash. At its core, it is approximately the same baker's yeast, but it has more suitable strains. Thanks to the latter, fermentation lasts for six to eight days and a large yield of ethyl alcohol occurs. This type of yeast makes a good mash for making a drink.
• And the last type is alcoholic yeast for whiskey, or turbo yeast. We'll talk about all the intricacies of this product further.

Alcoholic yeast - what is it?

Spirit yeast, or turbo yeast, is a mixture of nutrients and dry yeast to ferment the mash more efficiently before awaiting distillation. Such mixtures contain very strong strains of yeast, they have a high tolerance to ethyl, guarantee fast and stable fermentation and, if all conditions are met, provide excellent organoleptic properties. The composition also contains nutrients; they provide the necessary level of vitamins, microelements and nitrogen in the mash to obtain the ideal drink with excellent taste and aroma.

In order to obtain a “clean mash”, the composition includes sorbents that eliminate the formation of large foam. There are also special alcoholic yeasts for creating certain drinks - rum, vodka, Calvados, cognac, whiskey. Such yeast is initially mixed to suit the taste and aroma of each of them.

Characteristics of alcoholic yeast

1. Short fermentation time: if you follow all the rules of fermentation, you can get mash for distilling the drink in two days. Turbo yeast will allow you to do this in 24 hours.
2. Alcohol Tolerance: Due to the toxicity of ethanol, the yeast in the mash will “die” when the desired alcohol level is reached. A high content of strains in these yeasts can tolerate up to 20-23% alcohol, while in beer and cook's yeasts it is only 12 to 14%, and as for wine yeasts - 15% alcohol. In addition, you can control the alcohol strength yourself using granulated sugar, yeast and temperature.
3. Fermentation of sugars at a high level: dextrins are a type of sugar found in starch-containing raw materials and molasses; yeast cannot consume them. Therefore, they contain enzymes that can break down unfermentable sugars, which can remove large amounts of by-product alcohol.
4. Correct organoleptics and a clean drink: real masters of moonshine note that alcoholic yeast, or turbo yeast, has a very bad effect on the taste and aroma of whiskey, killing the true organoleptics of the product. One cannot but agree with them, but production does not stand still and is constantly bringing yeast closer to ideal.

Which whiskey yeast to choose? It all depends on your taste preferences, the time to prepare the product, the desired strength of the drink, the temperature regime that you can create, and the method of preparing them. In order to get what you need, it is best to experiment with making whiskey yourself and choose the best option.

Yeast for whiskey - which is better?

Currently, the number one producer of alcoholic yeast is the UK, which is represented by three world-famous companies:

• Bragman brand.
• Pathfinder is a brand of the famous company Young´s Home Brew.
• And the most popular is Alcotec - it is a division of Hambleton Bard Ltd.

Among these three brands, experienced moonshiners prefer the Alcotec brand. Reviews of Alkotek Whiskey yeast are only positive; they are called the best yeast for making this drink. They contain a high number of strains that improve and preserve the aroma and taste of the drink. This yeast is of excellent quality and has an affordable price - from 300 to 600 rubles.

Cooking features

In order to get a tasty drink, you need to follow certain rules:

• First you need to choose yeast for fermentation.
• Next, choose a fermentation vessel for fermenting the malt wort - the container for this can be made of glass, metal, wood or plastic. The main thing is that you feel comfortable.
• Malt and grain mashes, is a water seal required? The answer is clear: no, because malt wort is an excellent medium for the growth and reproduction of yeast, which can release alcohol and carbon dioxide in a couple of hours. The most important thing is to maintain good hygiene and quickly cool the wort to pitch the yeast.
• The correct taste and smell of mash - the taste of the right mash should be bitter, sour and beer-like. As for the smell, it is slightly bready and beer-like.
• Storing mash before distillation. Until distillation, it can be stored for two months in a cool, dark place and always in a clean, airtight container.

• It is best to crush the malt in a special mill to avoid the consistency of flour.

• Some people infuse malt in water at a temperature of 65 degrees, tightly wrapping the container, but it is better to boil, because during this process the sugars and proteins necessary for the yeast are released.
• It is important to observe the temperature regime when washing: the first time the water should be 72 degrees, the second time ten degrees higher.
• For the fermentation process to go well, the wort must be cooled to 35 degrees.
• Before adding yeast, be sure to saturate the wort with oxygen. Just pour it from a great height from one container to another.

Maturing or aging whiskey

For this you can use:

• (it will give floral, caramel and vanilla flavors).
• Limousin oak gives a pronounced vanilla flavor.
• Do you like chocolate notes, vanilla and pepper notes? Then use Hungarian oak.
• If you are a fan of cinnamon and light vanilla, then choose French oak.

There are many varieties of oak, you just need to choose the one that suits your taste.

Scotch single malt whiskey is a drink that was born in the country of the same name and is still produced there. Its main value lies in its long aging period - from 8 to 20 years. The cost of such a drink is high, and what is sold in stores in the middle and low price categories can hardly be called noble whiskey.

Producers of Scotch single malt whiskey go to great lengths to attract consumers. By artificially inflating the cost of flavored analogues, they regularly generate new legends around their products. In the description on the label it is much easier to find information about: ancient Scottish traditions, special peat for cleaning, clean mountain or spring water, fresh sea air, etc. But the technology for producing whiskey remains inaccessible to the common man. Specialists of the Alkopribor companyWe tried to reveal the secrets of making single malt whiskey at home using standard moonshine equipment.

How to make single malt whiskey at home?

If you love Scotch whiskey, you can now make it at home if you follow the recommendations in this article. Moreover, in the storeYou can buy all the necessary components for a noble drink. At its core, it is highly purified malt moonshine. The main nuance lies in aging, which in the factory conditions is carried out in oak containers.

If you use all kinds of additives, colors and, for example, burnt sugar, you will end up not with whiskey, but with improved moonshine - tincture, liqueur or something else. If we talk about quality, we can assure you that the resulting product will be tastier, more aromatic and better in all respects than whiskey that is sold at an average price in alcohol stores.

To bring the preparation of single malt whiskey as close as possible to factory conditions, it is necessary to select high-quality ingredients, prepare them correctly, and distill a high-quality distillate. And after all these procedures, you also have to age the alcohol in an oak barrel for at least 24 months. In industry, containers with a volume of 100 liters or more are used for such purposes. But for personal use it is quite enoughbarrelsvolume 10-20 liters.

If you think about the costs a company incurs when following the technology for producing whiskey or scotch, it becomes clear where the fabulous prices for a standard liter bottle come from. What we are used to buying in a store is done this way: the distillate is stored inmetal containerwith charred oak boards for about 7-10 days, then it is “ennobled” with dyes and flavors, often chemical, they are cheaper.

The advantage of making single malt whiskey at home is that you can completely recreate the whiskey production technology. There are 2 options here: use oak barrels and oak chips. The latter are used both in depleted barrels and in glassware. There is another plus - without violating the recipe, you get Scotch whiskey in 1-2 months. How is this possible? It’s simple, in a container with a volume of 10 or 20 liters, alcohols mature much faster than in huge industrial vats. As a result, you have a young, aromatic and tasty drink, which is 100% prepared without the use of chemicals.

Homemade single malt whiskey: recipe

For your convenience, we have compiled a list of all the necessary ingredients and equipment. This should be prepared in advance so as not to be distracted from the process. Required:

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Brief description of whiskey making technology:

1. Soaking barley and germinating it for several days.
2. Malt drying and grinding.
3. Wort preparation when mixing malt with hot water.
4. Sludge drainage(getting rid of spent grain).
5. Making mash for 2-3 days on alcoholic yeast.
6. Double distillation of moonshine. After the first, raw alcohol is obtained, which is subsequently subjected to fractional distillation with cutting off the “tails” and “heads”.
7. Whiskey maturation in an oak barrel.

Cooking wort for mash

This is the first step in making single malt whiskey at home. Ready malt (sprouted and then dried grain) should be crushed with any convenient device - a blender, coffee grinder, food processor. The output should be a very fine fraction. By the way, in the classic version, the malt is not germinated, which saves time.

The next step is to mix water and malt in a 4:1 ratio. At dilution 10 kg. product with 40 liters of water, the highest yield of alcohol is obtained. The pan must be filled with water and heated, constantly monitoring the temperature. Then add malt. To ensure saccharification occurs evenly, the wort should be stirred during cooking.

Nuances of temperature conditions

The malt is filled at a temperature of 65°C, then it is maintained at 62°C, the first phase lasts 80 minutes. In the second phase, the temperature rises by 10°C to 72°C. After 15 minutes, you need to reach a temperature of 78°C, the third phase lasts only 2 minutes. The fourth phase lasts 30 minutes, and the temperature reaches a maximum of 100°C. It is important to maintain this interval for complete sterilization of the wort.

After passing through all 4 phases, the wort must be cooled to 20°C. To do this, you can use a separate cooling coil made of copper pipe. It is important to know that the correct technology for making whiskey is associated with rapid cooling. After draining the sediment, yeast is introduced. Despite the massive recommendations and reviews regarding the French products “Saf-Levure” and “Saf-Moment”, we recommendalcohol yeast, which are created to obtain the correct mash.

Scotch single malt whiskey: making mash

For the dough, take 100 ml. warm wort in which the yeast dissolves. If a large glass bottle is selected as a fermentation tank, you must put a water seal on it. The fermentation process will last approximately 3 days, its completion is indicated by the lack of activity in the form of bubbles and seething.

Whiskey distillation and infusion technology

At this stage you will receive malt distillate - the basis of whiskey. At its core, distillation is no different from the distillation of sugar or fruit mash. You should carefully monitor the head and tail fractions so that they do not get into the main part. To do this, the alcohol content is controlled; for the “body” it will be about 55%.

After distillation of the distillate, the most important thing begins - aging in oak containers. Raw materials for whiskey must be poured into a barrel. Read about proper preparation inthis article. It is no secret that the color saturation and fullness of aroma depend on the exposure time. From experience we can say that 1 month will be quite enough for a jug with a volume of 10 liters. If you use oak chips instead of a barrel, the minimum infusion time can increase by 1.5-2 times. It changes depending on the change in coverage area, which is regulated by using different numbers of chips. Typically, for the preparation of cognac spirits, 5 to 30 grams are taken. burnt product per 1 dm 3 volume.

By following the technology for preparing single malt whiskey, you will receive a noble drink that cannot be compared with those WhatYou are used to shopping in a store!

I will divide this material into 2 parts, because... LiveJournal does not allow you to skip the entire text at once.

So, the actual article itself:

This information, unlike publicly available Russian-language information, is distinguished by a more detailed consideration of all stages of production and is intended exclusively for inquisitive and thoughtful whiskey lovers. For others, the information presented below may seem too deep and even confusing. And yet, the appearance of this kind of articles in Russian, I believe, will help many amateurs and professionals increase the level of their knowledge about whiskey.

1. Barley

Barley (Latin Hordeum vulgare) is the fourth most popular grain crop in the world, after wheat, corn and rice, and is one of the three components necessary for the production of malt whiskey. The other two are water and yeast. Barley is cultivated throughout the world and is used primarily for livestock feed and the production of beer and spirits. The volume of barley production in 2009 in Scotland amounted to 1.9 million tons (of which about 80% was spring barley, and about 20% was winter barley). Scotch whiskey production uses approximately 500,000 tonnes of barley per year, most of which comes from Scottish farms. In 2005, the share of Scottish barley was 90%, but since then it has been decreasing, due to increasing imports from other countries such as Denmark, Germany, France, Australia and England.

There are 2 types of barley suitable for the production of beer and whiskey: 2-row and 6-row, depending on the arrangement of the grains (see picture).

Two types of barley: spring and winter barley
In addition, barley can be divided into:
- spring barley (it is planted in the spring and harvested in late summer or early autumn)
- winter barley (it is planted in the fall and harvested a year later)

Thanks to the constant development of the industry, there are currently approximately 100,000 varieties of barley.

The most common for whiskey production is 2-row spring barley, of which there are many different variations suitable to varying degrees. Since the beginning of the 19th century, producers have traditionally used 6-row Bere barley, but later varieties with better performance were developed. Despite this, experiments are being carried out in Bruichladdich and Springbank to use this type of barley for the production of whiskey, however, with varying degrees of success.

Recently, new varieties have become widespread, such as Golden Promise(in 1966). In the early 90s it was replaced by varieties Prisma And Chariot. Today the most popular species is Optic, introduced in 1995. At the peak of its popularity, it accounted for 2/3 of all distilled barley, but now its volume is about 40%. Latest new varieties - Oxbridge, Belgravia And Publican.

Currently, research is underway to develop new varieties, by improving old ones, or creating hybrids. Key factors to consider when creating new species:

Low protein content, causing a high percentage of starch, which will later become sugar and, ultimately, alcohol. This is determined by the spirit yield indicator (volume of alcohol at the outlet) - the ratio of alcohol in liters to a ton of barley. A good figure by today's standards is 405-420 liters per ton of barley, in the old days this figure was about 380 liters. This depends, however, on whether the barley is treated with peat or not. For peated barley these figures will be lower, especially if your own malt was used rather than purchased from an independent maltery.

Resistance to diseases such as mold, brown rust and others.
- Good germination, which is a prerequisite for malting barley
- High yield. The golden promise variety produces a yield of 2 tons per acre, and the optic variety produces about 3 tons.

More recently, experiments have been carried out to develop a variety of barley without hulls. Typically, the grain is located under the skin, which occupies approximately 10% of the volume of the entire grain and consists mainly of cellulose and lignin. The absence of skins not only reduces the soaking time, but also the germination of the barley itself, which ultimately saves the cost of whiskey production. In addition, the new variety produces a higher volume of alcohol output.

Once the harvested grain arrives at the malting plant, it undergoes laboratory tests before entering the warehouse. It is then dried with warm air before being cooled and sent into storage for several months before it is used. During storage, barley “dormants” and needs several weeks to “wake up” and begin to germinate.

2. Malting.

Malting process in whiskey production

Malting is the process during which the barley grain is modified to produce the sugar needed for the next step - mashing the malt. This process is used to make both beer and whiskey, but whiskey uses barley, which is low in protein and high in starch, which then becomes sugar, which in turn becomes alcohol. Most of the world's malt is used to make beer and only 3% is used to make whiskey.

Barley grain consists of 3 parts: the skin, a layer of starch underneath it, and a sprout (embryo) in the middle. Consuming starch, the embryo, if not controlled, will develop, producing roots and shoots, into a new barley plant. This is why malting involves controlled germination of grains.

Harvested barley must sit for 6 to 16 weeks before it begins to germinate. The readiness of barley is checked by tests. When it is ready, it is sent to soak, where it is immersed in water to increase the humidity - then germination begins. Dry barley contains no more than 12% water. For the first soaking, water at a temperature of 14-17 degrees is used and after 8 hours the humidity of the barley is already 32-35%, at this point the water is drained and the barley is left to rest for about 12 hours. Then water is added again, this time for about 16 hours, after which the humidity rises to 46%.

During soaking, certain types of enzymes are activated. Cytase begins to destroy the grain walls, exposing starch, Amylase acts on starch, breaking it into smaller parts. Next, the wet barley is sent for germination using a current or pneumatic method (which we will look at a little later).

The germination process takes approximately 7-10 days in a current malting and 2-4 days in a modern commercial (pneumatic) malting. During germination, heat is generated and at this stage the barley must be turned over to allow air to pass between the grains, thereby reducing its temperature, otherwise we will end up with a carpet of stuck together barley weighing about 500 tons.

During germination, the enzymes awakened when the barley was soaked continue their work, and the grain begins to feed on modified starch. You should monitor the starch content, which should not fall too much. To do this, you should stop germination in time. This process is called drying (kilning from the word kiln - oven). The sprouted malt is placed in an oven where it is dried at high temperature.

At this point we can look at two different types of malting. Traditional method of current malting, consists in the fact that after soaking, the barley is scattered on a stone or concrete floor in a layer of 30 cm. Two or three times a day, for about a week, the germinating barley is turned over with special wooden shovels. The malt is then sent to the kiln, where it is spread on a perforated floor. Here it is dried directly by smoke from the kiln passing through the malt, or indirectly when air heated by a radiator dries the grain. The entire process takes approximately 24-48 hours, depending on the size of the kiln and the amount of malt. Only a small handful of manufacturers use this traditional method, and then, as a rule, only for a small part of their products.

Peated malt acquires its peated character during the drying process. Peat is made from the oxidation and decay of plants, and where it is mined plays a role in the final character of the whisky. Some types of peat are over 10,000 years old and lie at a depth of 10 meters. In the old days, peat was the main fuel in the highlands. Now it is only an addition to the main types of fuel and is used only to convey a bouquet to some types of whiskey. Peat smoke contains phenols, which come in different types; the most important of which are: cresol, xylenol and guaiacol.

Peat is used in the first part of drying, when the sprouted barley contains about 40-45% moisture, and stops being used when the moisture level drops to 18-20%. Drying ends when the moisture content of the malt drops to 4%. The phenolic content in malt (or in finished whiskey) is measured in ppm (parts per million) - phenolic particles per million particles. Commercial malteries divide peated malt according to the level of phenolic content into: lightly peated (1-5ppm), medium-peaty (5-15ppm) and highly peated (15-50+ppm). Large malt companies do not use solid peat, but instead use a solution of phenols in water that is sprayed onto the malt.

Commercial maltings use one of three methods - Saladin Box (Saladen box), Drum malting (drum malting), SGKV (Steeping, Germination and Kilning Vessels) containers for soaking, germination and drying.

SGKV- the most modern method of malting - (see picture) appeared in the seventies, is the most modern method of malting, giving up to 500 tons of product at a time, and includes all the necessary stages of the process.

Saladen Boxes for the production of barley (see picture) can only be found at Tamdhu distillery, Baird’s (in Inverness), and also at Crisp (in Alloa). They were invented by Frenchman Charles Saladin in the late 19th century and can produce up to 200 tons of barley.

Drum malting method(see picture) appeared in the late 1960s. The drums are reliable and easy to use, but they are not convenient because they can only hold 30-50 tons of barley at a time.

In addition to various types of peated and unpeated malt, some producers have recently begun experimenting with types of malt commonly used in brewing - chocolate malt, roasted malt, crystal malt, which bring new flavors to whiskey. From 100 kilograms of barley, 80 kg of malt is obtained and, when the malting process is completed, the malt is sent for crushing, and then for mashing.

3. Mashing the malt.

Before you can begin to extract the soluble sugars from the malt, it must be ground. Before entering the thresher, some of the malt goes through a screening machine to eliminate unwanted particles such as sprouts. There are several different types of threshing machines, but they all rely on rotating mechanisms to break the shells of grains and grind the grains into flour (grist).

The most common type is the Porteus with two or four roller crushers, but some manufacturers use a more modern model called the Buhler-Miag, which has up to seven crusher shafts. Several manufacturers still use the old but reliable Bobby mill model. During grinding, it is important to ensure that the particle size is ideal for the grout.

Depending on the type of mash tun used in the distillery, the requirements for crushed malt vary. The optimal values ​​for a classic mash tun are: 70% crushed grain, 20% peel, 10% flour. If there is too much flour, the mash tun filter may become clogged, and if there is too much skin, the water will flow through too quickly. If a full cycle mash tun is used, the wort is composed of smaller particles, allowing for rapid drainage and a fine grind.

The ground grain goes into special storage containers before entering the mash tun, which is a large round container made of stainless steel or cast iron. Only one distillery (Glenturret) still uses a wood mash tun. Most vats have a special closing dome, but some manufacturers use open ones. There is a wide range of sizes, from the tun at Glenturret, which holds about a tonne of ground grain, to the giant mash tuns at Glenfarclas, which reach 10 meters in diameter and hold up to 15 tons at a time.

The ground grain is poured with hot water to extract the sugar from the malt. The Amylase enzyme, awakened during barley malting and stopped by drying, now converts starch into sugar. During mashing, there are two to five (usually three) water changes.

The "first" water (usually the third water from the previous grout) is heated to approximately 65 degrees. Temperature is very important and if it is too high the enzymes will die. During the process, it is important to remember that most enzymes are most active at a temperature of 50 degrees, the rest at higher values.

After this, you should mix the water with the ground grain to saturate it with sugars. Previously, this was done manually using wooden shovels. Now they only do this on Glenturret.

These days, when we talk about traditional mash tuns, we mean mechanical tuns with rotating steel rakes that mix the grain with water. Many distilleries have switched to using modern mash tuns like those used in breweries (Lauter Mash Tuns). In this variety, the rotating handle is equipped with blades that pierce the grain. There are two types of such devices: semi-lauter and full-lauter. In the latter, the blades move not only in the horizontal plane, but also in the vertical. After 30 minutes, the first batch of wort is poured through a special perforated bottom into the wort receiver.

Next, the “second” water is poured into the vat, which is heated to a temperature of 70 to 85 degrees (the value differs for different manufacturers). The whole procedure is repeated and after 30 minutes the wort is drained again. At this point, 90% of the starch has turned into soluble sugars, and “third” water is used to use the remaining starch to extract sugar. The temperature of this water varies between 80-95 degrees and after 15 minutes it is drained. This water contains only about 1% sugar and is not mixed with the rest of the wort; it is placed in a hot water vat and subsequently used as the “first” water for the next mash.

The waste remaining from the mashing process, consisting of grain skins and spent grains, is collected and used as livestock feed. Sometimes they are mixed with the residue from the distillation process (pot ale), thus obtaining granules called dark grains. Before sending the wort from the wort tank for fermentation, it is cooled to 18-20 degrees, so as not to destroy the yeast. The entire mashing process takes approximately 3 hours in a state-of-the-art mash tun, in the case of Glenfarclas, a batch of 15 tonnes of ground grain produces approximately 75,000 liters of wort. Before fermentation, it is also important to measure the wort's Original Gravity, or its saturation with sugar. This will determine the amount of yeast that will be used in the next step, fermentation. The density of water at 20 degrees is 1000 kg/m^3; to produce whiskey, the density of the wort should be approximately 1050 kg/m^3.

4. Fermentation. (Fermentation)

The part of the whiskey production process during which sugar is converted into alcohol is called fermentation or fermentation. From the mash tun, in which the amylase enzyme has converted starch to maltose sugar (about 50% of the wort), the wort is pumped through a temperature changer into the fermentation tanks.

The fermentation tanks in which fermentation takes place are large containers, traditionally made of wood, although stainless steel tanks have also emerged in modern times. Wooden vats, usually made from larch or Oregon pine, can be difficult to clean, but owners claim the wood has a positive effect on their mash. Others say that the material of the fermentation tank does not matter and prefer to use more efficient stainless steel tanks. One thing is true: some producers are afraid to change the material of their vats for fear of changing the character of their whiskey. Fermentation tanks range in size from 1,000 to 70,000 liters and are usually 2/3 full.

Yeast is added to the wort, which begins to convert sugar into alcohol. While this process is usually thought of as yeast cells frantically gobbling up sugar, this is not entirely true. During the first (aerobic) phase, yeast cells multiply and, in order to do this, absorb oxygen molecules dissolved in the wort. When oxygen levels drop and carbon dioxide levels increase, the environment becomes anaerobic and detrimental to yeast. They need oxygen and now they have to get it from sugar molecules. As a result, even more carbon dioxide, alcohol and various compounds are released.

Unlike beer production, whiskey production is not a sterile process. The wort contains various wild yeasts and other bacteria that affect the future bouquet of the drink. The magnitude of this influence will depend on the fermentation time, the type of yeast and the material of the fermentation vessel. Wooden vats are almost impossible to get rid of bacteria 100%. All the sugar is consumed after about 48 hours and the yeast cells settle to the bottom. The third fermentation is caused by various bacteria, mainly fermented milk bacteria, which now do not meet the competition of yeast. The pH level drops, new compounds appear and their number increases. This is called malolactic fermentation. If it continues for too long, the ph level will drop significantly, which will ruin the mash.

So, the end result, after 48-120 hours of fermentation, can be called ale (only without hops), with an alcohol content of 5 to 8 percent. Approximately 85% of the solids are converted to alcohol, and the remaining 15, along with the mash, are used in the first distillation.

Back in the early seventies, only one type of yeast was used, called Brewer's Yeast. They not only converted sugar into alcohol, but also, being less effective, left some of the sugar and esters in the mash, which undoubtedly affected the bouquet whiskey.

To increase efficiency, namely increase the alcohol content in the mash, some manufacturers have switched to using special alcoholic yeast (Distiller's Yeast). They provide greater commercial benefits, but there are concerns that such yeast affects the taste of whiskey too much. Since 2005 brewer's yeast is used only in the beer industry, and even if whiskey producers want to, they will not be able to return it.That is why much research is now aimed at finding a replacement for brewer's yeast, and if not for full use, then at least in order to mix it with alcoholic yeast.The yeast used is dry, compressed and liquid (in solution), and most of it is supplied by the two large food companies Kerry Group and AB Mauri.

Fermentation has a major influence on the character of the resulting alcohol. Some say that a spirit gets 55% of its character during fermentation and 45% during distillation. Please note that we are talking about the nature of the freshly distilled, unaged spirit, as the influence of the cask is more important. Factors to take into account: fermentation time, temperature and strength of the mash. Some producers have been using short fermentations for years, but reducing fermentation time to speed up the production process can backfire. Malolactic fermentation plays a large role in the creation of new compounds and its reduction will also affect the character of the resulting alcohol. Professionals believe that for best complexity, fermentation time should be around 60 hours.

In this material I will tell you how to make whiskey at home using classical technology, which is used in Ireland and Scotland. The recipe is in many ways reminiscent of regular moonshine, but one more step is added - infusion on oak wood, which lasts six months or more. You can't get a good drink sooner.

For those who don’t want to do such a long preparation, I can offer a quick whiskey recipe. It is enough to dilute the alcohol to a strength of 40-50 degrees and insist on oak sawdust for 7-10 days (when the taste suits you, filter). The sawdust must first be prepared: pour boiling water over it, drain the broth after an hour, pour in cold water, drain it after a day, then dry the wood in the sun. Instead of alcohol, craftsmen use regular vodka or moonshine. Naturally, the result will be alcohol that only vaguely resembles real scotch, but you will spend a minimum of time and effort.

Making homemade whiskey look like the original Scotch or Irish takes a long time, but the results are well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• barley malt – 8 kg;
• water – 32 liters;
• yeast - 300 grams pressed or 50 grams dry.

Barley produces single malt whiskey, which is of the highest quality. But you can make two or three-ingredient drinks by mixing different types of malt. For example, barley, rye, corn or wheat. The general proportions of the ingredients do not change.

Malt is sprouted at home or purchased in specialized stores. The origin of the raw materials is not of fundamental importance. I advise you to pay attention to the quality of the water. Spring water or water passed through a purification filter, but without reverse osmosis, is ideal. You can't boil it!

Attention! You definitely need a thermometer; without observing the thermal regime, measuring the temperature of the wort “by eye” will not work.

Homemade whiskey technology

1. Grind the malt to a coarse grain, leaving particles of grain skins. Under no circumstances should it be flour. All you need to do is break the grains into small pieces. The correct grinding of malt for whiskey is shown in the photo. If you purchased already ground malt (the best option for beginners), skip this step.

2. Heat a large metal container with water on the stove to a temperature of 70°C.

3. Slowly pour malt into hot water, constantly stirring with a wooden mallet or stick. You should get a homogeneous mixture without lumps.

4. Bring the wort to a temperature of 65°C (very important), close the lid tightly and maintain a stable temperature (plus or minus 2-3 degrees) for 90 minutes, checking and stirring every 10-15 minutes. To maintain the temperature regime, it is enough to periodically heat the container over low heat. At the end of the process, the upper part of the wort will lighten, and the porridge will sink to the bottom.

Under the influence of temperature, saccharification of the wort will begin - the breakdown of starch into sugar and dextrins (soluble substances). Then, during fermentation, the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol.

Attention! Saccharification of the wort occurs only in the temperature range of 61-72°C; in all other cases, the process stops without the possibility of resumption.

5. Remove the lid from the pan and cool the contents to 25°C as quickly as possible, for example by placing in a bath of cold water. Rapid cooling will not allow third-party microorganisms to multiply in the nutrient medium, which will prevent souring.

6. Dilute the yeast according to the instructions on the package.

7. Pour the wort into a fermentation container, add yeast, stir.

8. Transfer the container to a dark room with a temperature of 18-25°C, install a water seal.

9. Depending on the quality of raw materials, yeast activity and temperature, fermentation lasts from 3 to 15 days. During this time, once a day you need to remove the water seal and mix the mash with clean hands or a wooden stick.

When the water seal does not release bubbles for 1-2 days, the wort has become light and bitter in taste (sweetness is not felt), you can move on to the next stage.

10. Pour the mash into the still through a colander to separate the spent grain (the undissolved part of the malt), which can burn during the distillation process, making the whiskey bitter.

11. Distill the resulting mash using a moonshine still. During the first distillation, do not separate the output into fractions (“heads”, “body” and “tails”). Finish the selection when the strength of the distillate in the stream drops below 20 degrees.

Approximately 6-7 liters of barley moonshine with a strength of 40 degrees is obtained. The yield depends on the extract content of the malt - the percentage of starch content in it. The higher the extract, the better.

12. Measure the strength and determine the amount of pure alcohol. Dilute the distillate with water to 20% and re-distill. Pour the first 12% of the yield from the amount of pure alcohol into a separate container. These are the “heads” – the fraction containing harmful substances. It spoils the taste of homemade whiskey and is hazardous to health.

If desired, you can do a third distillation, dividing the yield into fractions, as in the second case (selection of the head fraction - 2-3%). This will improve the quality of the distillate, but is labor intensive.

13. The time has come to infuse grain moonshine on oak. There are two options. The first is to purchase an oak barrel, pour in the distillate and keep it in the basement for at least 6 months. The second is to use oak pegs. Barrels are preferable, but such containers are still very rare on the farm, so next we will look at the technology of infusing whiskey on oak pegs.

Wood with a trunk diameter of 30-35 cm is suitable (oak age is 50 years). Bark, sawdust and shavings contain too much tannin, which makes the whiskey taste harsh, so they are not suitable.

Divide oak stumps into pieces 5-8 mm thick. The length of the pegs should be placed in the jars or other glass containers selected for infusion. Pour boiling water over the wood, after 10 minutes drain the broth, soak for 30 minutes in cold water, then dry in the sun. Place the stumps in jars for aging (10-15 pieces in each), fill with distillate, diluted to 45-50 degrees. Then close the lids tightly and place in the basement for 6-12 months. Long aging improves the taste.