100% peated malt... Help.

[TexasReflux]

Ok, I am soon to be in the possession of 110 lbs of peated malt (among some other grains and malts). I need some help and direction.

Like Scotch (single malts and drink mid level peats as my go to drink, want to try the 100%)

My set up... I have a grain mill, propane cooker and good old BOP (no false floor or drain valve). I also have a 10 gallon copper column still and have played around with steam cooking corn, which I find to be far superior to any sort of burner method. Have done both on and off grain washes. Off seemed easiest to me. Have a 5 gallon bucket with many, many holes in it that I can sparge with, also have a 15 gallon cooler I can convert on grain with...

I have not gotten the best conversion possible in the past but have only done a few washes, broke my hydrometer a few weeks ago so have been going at it blind (will fix this) but I get about half (1 gallon
) usable spirits off a 10 gallon wash as I do something like a 10 gallon Gerber. Figuring the mash is around 6%.

My question is...

Does anybody have any tips, tricks, or trade secrets to help me get full conversion and higher ABV from a 100% peated malt recipe? What about yeast? Anything I need to know about peated malt?

I understand it might need some rest along the way, the 140-158 temp level of conversion, adding beano for added enzymes.

My first thoughts would be to get everything to temp slowly, then pour it all into the cooler to rest overnight (or until the temp got down to 80 or so), strain it through the bucket and hit it with warm or hot water to remove any excess sugars from the grains. Move this all into a few carboys, then pitch yeast and hope for the best. From there I can double or triple distill or whatever, but I got to get to that point first. Again, any thoughts or help you can offer would be great.

Thanks again

[myles]

I might be wrong but it sounds like you are buying in sack(s) of prepared malt. I always assumed you added a bit of the peated malt and not 100% as it is very heavily peated to save weight.

If you are getting it in from somewhere that has peated it just enough to run at 100%, thats different. As for the rest I don't know.

[TexasReflux]

I am trying for an Islay. Very heavy peated Scotch.

Just looking for any small tips or tricks people have discovered over the years.

So you know, I will be getting tomorrow (happy day)... Canadian Wheat, Peated Malt, 6 row, Flaked Barley, and a Chocolate Malt.

Think I should be able to come up with some drinkable stuff from that. Peated malt makes up the most of the order.

[rtalbigr]

I've done a lot of barley and find it pretty easy to work with. I generally don't cook it at all, just add heated water to it. What helps a lot in getting good saccrification is holding it at about 140F for at least a few hours and longer don't hurt nothin. I often wrap my bucket in an old sleeping bag and in 12 hours the temp wil drop to only 130F. Another thing to getting good conversion is to use enough malted grain. I usually use around 1.5#/10# grain bill and sometimes up to 2#. Doin' a grain bill now with 71% barley, 19% corn, 10% wheat and am using 2.5# of that malted. Once the grain setttles in your mash if there's a lot of clear liquid on top then you're gettin' a good conversion.

As far as using peated I generally do mine at 15% and get a nice light smoky taste in my whisky and It really has a strong smoky smell when I'm mashin'. I'm thinkin' if ya go 100% with the peated it will be overpowering, but I understand you want a heavy smoke taste. I don't think I'd go more than 30-40% with the peated.

My opinion for what it's worth.

Big R

[Horse_Shoe]

I'll share with you what I've learned about testing starch conversion. I do the iodine test:

Needed:
1 small bottle of iodine (ask for it at the pharmacy, they keep it locked away from the meth makers.)
1 eye dropper (because the iodine bottle may not have one inside.)
1 small clear glass jar (really anything will do)

Directions:

In the small glass jar place some of the cleared wash ( a few tablespoons.)
With the eye dropper, add one or more drops of iodine.
Instantly, the iodine will turn dark purple if there are any starches unconverted.
If the iodine stays its original color, then conversion is maximized.
Now, throw out the sample (iodine is toxic - don't use the contaminated sample.)
Repeat as necessary throughout the process.

I recently had an all grain wash that would not convert. I over cooked it, killed the enzymes, and attempted to convert using alpha amylaze powder. While I did convert some of the starches over, I killed the wash with amylaze. And, because I didn't use both Alpha and Beta Amylaze the conversion wasn't complete. Don't overheat your mash, or you will suffer my own fate - tossing it out.

Good luck! I had my first taste of Islay recently. The smoky peaty flavor was memorable. I can't say that I'd drink it regularly, but now that i've had it I'll probably crave it again on occasion.

[Dnderhead]

" Don't overheat your mash, or you will suffer my own fate - tossing it out."
why you throw it out? just cool to proper temps.and add more malt/enzymes.

[Horse_Shoe]

I tried that. I only had alph enzymes and I overdosed it. After that the ferment would never catch.

[Horse_Shoe]

All,

I have 6 lbs of peated malt that I'm dying to mash and distill. I only have a 5 gallon drink cooler and a 5 gallon SS Pot for fermenting. What would you do?

[Dnderhead]

6LB in 5 gallon mash will be about 3.5 abv

[Horse_Shoe]

Yeah, I was thinking of adding corn to make the balance. Do you think that corn will ruin the peated malt?

[TexasReflux]

I think corn would make a fine addition. However, not for what my original intent was.

I am currently sitting on 5 gallons of the 100% peated low wines, and one of these days I am going to get some time to run it right.

Got to say though, not as smoky/peaty as I expected but will only know when it is run again. Looking forward to trying some finished product, and hopefully stashing away a little for long term aging.

[Horse_Shoe]

Tex,

I'm a Texan, displaced in the Carolinas. I visited Tito's Vodka site the other day and watched some old videos about the distillery and its colorful owner, Tito Bevridge. It was pretty cool to watch. His still was all covered up in insulation and the operation looked like a hayride in a whirlwind. But, its a true rags to riches story. I use some Tito's Vodka in a glass when I run my still. His product is completely odor free, perfectly neutral. I take samples of my own stuff and make comparisons to Tito's and take notes for future runs.

I'm moving back to Texas this year and seriously considering building a microdistillery to make spirits.