"Scotch" whisky - my fermenting plan.

[peanutaxis]

That link is very cool, thankyou peanutaxi. The addition of enzymes after my primary fermentation resulted in a very slow ferment so I gave up after 3 weeks in secondary. It droped to 1.009. My wash was brought up to 180 so I killwd any enzymes from the malt. I will follow the process outlined in the study next batch.

Yeah I was lucky to find it. I'm gonna try it next time too. I suspect someone like samohon will know about it or at least know about its results already. With regards to your wash, Table 1 in that paper says that glucoamylase (I think thats what you added) works best at 35 - 40 Celcius. Also, I believe that you said that you removed a lot/most of your yeast cells for other purposes, but you still need them to turn whatever the glucoamylase produces into alcohol! Maybe this was your problem?

I have added to mine "Copper Tun Low Carb Dry Enzyme". It was the only enzyme I could find at my closest brew shop. It doesn't say what's in it but I'm hoping.

[King Of Hearts]

That link is very cool, thankyou peanutaxi. The addition of enzymes after my primary fermentation resulted in a very slow ferment so I gave up after 3 weeks in secondary. It droped to 1.009. My wash was brought up to 180 so I killwd any enzymes from the malt. I will follow the process outlined in the study next batch.

Yeah I was lucky to find it. I'm gonna try it next time too. I suspect someone like samohon will know about it or at least know about its results already. With regards to your wash, Table 1 in that paper says that glucoamylase (I think thats what you added) works best at 35 - 40 Celcius. Also, I believe that you said that you removed a lot/most of your yeast cells for other purposes, but you still need them to turn whatever the glucoamylase produces into alcohol! Maybe this was your problem?

I have added to mine "Copper Tun Low Carb Dry Enzyme". It was the only enzyme I could find at my closest brew shop. It doesn't say what's in it but I'm hoping.

I ended up with 6.6%abv after ferment. 1 3/4 gal low wines at 35% from 21lbs of malt, but I can tell already it will be very tasty stuff.

[peanutaxis]

Cool. How do you work out your ABV? Subtraction of SGs?

[BrooklynTech]

Been snowed under with work here guy's... But I will give you what I got so far, and get the rest done over the Easter holidays...

Here we go...

Making a Scotch Whisky.pdf

I'll get the rest done soon... I have the text and the illustrations - just need to format the page... Then it will be placed into the reading lounge...
I have a few projects that I would like to get up to HD.. Animations of LW's rig (no i haven't forgot Larry), working animation of the VM and flute...
As well as a dummy's guide to home beer-making/distillation...
and a hazards of stilling tutorial, sort of a hand crafted safety manual just to make things a bit clearer on what HD does not want new members to use for material...

So much to do-so little time, oh well, I'll get the last part up soon guy's...

Over and out...

Thanks Sam!

[King Of Hearts]

Cool. How do you work out your ABV? Subtraction of SGs?

I use my brewing software, Beertools.

[rad14701]

Cool. How do you work out your ABV? Subtraction of SGs?

Final Gravity (FG) - Original Gravity (OG) x 130 (magic number) = Approximate %ABV

Various calculations use anywhere from 129 - 132 as the magic number... The calculators on the parent site use 129... Others use 130, 131.25, etc... But 130 is easy to remember so that's what I use when not relying on a calculator...

Example:
1.060 - 0.990 = 0.07
0.07 x 130 = 9.1% ABV

[King Of Hearts]

I read the experiment from the link. I started with the same gravity. They ended up with 5.6abv, I ended up with 6.6abv. I pitched a 1600ml starter of 1728 Scottish yeast slurry into 10.5 gals. Aerated with pure oxygen with a stone for 2 mins. I bet if I put the enzymes in at the start it would have went even lower or even 1.000

[peanutaxis]

Thanks rad.

KOH: You must be in Scotland? Pure oxygen! How....why do you have that

I threw in my enzyme last night and am keeping mine at about 30C. This morning it was bubbling quite a bit! Mashing another 8L batch today - will go back to the not-boil method.

[King Of Hearts]

Thanks rad.

KOH: You must be in Scotland? Pure oxygen! How....why do you have that

I threw in my enzyme last night and am keeping mine at about 30C. This morning it was bubbling quite a bit! Mashing another 8L batch today - will go back to the not-boil method.

No, Illinois. Any home center has it in small 1 to 2 oz tanks for welding, doesn't have to be food grade, and you get the stone and valve from the homebrew stores. http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAMS ... -P699.aspx

[King Of Hearts]

Here is another link about the study of copper in scotch stills. They have some free stuff at the home page.

http://www.scientificsocieties.org

http://www.scientificsocieties.org/jib/ ... 8-1104.pdf

[King Of Hearts]

Some interesting facts about Scotch Whisky from a paper about the Evaluation of a Brazilian Fuel Alcohol Yeast Strain for Scotch Whisky Fermentations. http://www.scientificsocieties.org/jib/ ... 2-1026.pdf

According to the legal definition of Scotch whisky as outlined in the Scotch Whisky Order (1990) and the Scotch Whisky Act (1988), to be called Scotch whisky, the spirit must be produced following fermentation only by addition of yeast. This definition also complies with the European Community Council (1989) definition of whisky. No external enzymes or additives are permitted to be used in the processing of cereals for the production of Scotch whisky.

The major categories of flavour congeners produced by Scotch whisky yeasts during fermentation include: higher alcohols (e.g., n-propanol and iso-butanol), esters (e.g., ethyl acetate and iso-amyl-acetate), aldehydes and ketones (e.g., acetaldehyde, furfural and diacetyl), sulphur compounds (e.g., dimethyl sulphide), organic and fatty acids. Scotch whisky distilling yeast must tolerate the osmotic stress of the initial sugar concentration in the wort and be capable of fermenting wort sugars (mainly maltose and maltotriose) to ensure maximum conversion of starch derived carbohydrates into alcohol.

They should also have the ability to complete the fermentation to give a final wash alcohol content of at least 8–10% (v/v) ethanol. In addition, lack of flocculence, minimal foaming, and a good temperature tolerance to ensure rapid fermentation
above 30°C are necessary yeast attributes for efficient performance in producing potable alcohol for distilled spirits such as Scotch whisky.

[peanutaxis]

Thanks KOH, good find.


After only a day at ~30C with enzyme SG=1.000. Awesome!


For today's batch: 2kg Maris Otter with 5.5L water at 63C for one hour. Fly sparged slowly with 5L 75C water (like in the article), then with with off-boil water to scrub the grains of sugar to use as starter for next batch. Wort cooled to ~35C and left for half hour (dextrins). Wort cooled to below 20C. 2L removed and aerated insanely. Pitched. We'll see if I get an infection, and if those dextrins will disappear!