When Irish eyes are Smiling

Any hardware used for mashing, fermenting or aging.

Moderator: Site Moderator

User avatar
Truckinbutch
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 8107
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:49 pm

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by Truckinbutch »

I haven't smoked any grains yet . I just went AG last December . Gradually working my way into more indepth practices .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
User avatar
JellybeanCorncob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 485
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:18 am
Location: Under the Redwood Trees

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Truckinbutch wrote:I haven't smoked any grains yet . I just went AG last December . Gradually working my way into more indepth practices .
They only have Simpson's peat malt at the brewers supply store and the phenol level is quite low. This and having some peat right from the source got me in motion. I'm excited to learn to smoke my grains. I think it will bring another level of complexity to my whiskey.
JBC
JBC
pigroaster
Novice
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 5:41 pm
Location: Canada: Where fish say "Eh"

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by pigroaster »

I use a bandsaw to cut the peat into strips. 3/4 x 3/4 x 4 inches or how wide your peat is. My peat was also born in Ireland. I use a cast iron smoker container with a lid with slits in it and a propane burner to keep the heat down, I spritz the malt with a laundry sprayer using RO water. I spritz every 15 minutes and smoke for 1.5 hours usually with the barley about 1.5 inches deep and two trays high. I have holes in the barley so smoke gets around the sides of the tray and up through these holes. RO water helps the smoke stick. I do not roll my barley. I then put the barley in brown paper bags that have been lined with paper towels. This takes the harshness out of the grain. I try to do this 2 weeks before I mash using 15-20% of peated malt in the bill. It tames down on the second run and ages fine on charred oak sticks 5-6: 1/2 x 1/2 x 6 inches per gallon (US: 128 oz) I do not use all new sticks. Second use ones work great when you introduce some new sticks. In a perfect world 4 used ones and one or two freshly charred ones would be my pick. .
Have fun!
Tapeman
Novice
Posts: 94
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 1:52 pm

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by Tapeman »

Great info pigroaster. I'm drying my compressed locally dug peat now.
User avatar
Truckinbutch
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 8107
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:49 pm

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by Truckinbutch »

pigroaster wrote:I use a bandsaw to cut the peat into strips. 3/4 x 3/4 x 4 inches or how wide your peat is. My peat was also born in Ireland. I use a cast iron smoker container with a lid with slits in it and a propane burner to keep the heat down, I spritz the malt with a laundry sprayer using RO water. I spritz every 15 minutes and smoke for 1.5 hours usually with the barley about 1.5 inches deep and two trays high. I have holes in the barley so smoke gets around the sides of the tray and up through these holes. RO water helps the smoke stick. I do not roll my barley. I then put the barley in brown paper bags that have been lined with paper towels. This takes the harshness out of the grain. I try to do this 2 weeks before I mash using 15-20% of peated malt in the bill. It tames down on the second run and ages fine on charred oak sticks 5-6: 1/2 x 1/2 x 6 inches per gallon (US: 128 oz) I do not use all new sticks. Second use ones work great when you introduce some new sticks. In a perfect world 4 used ones and one or two freshly charred ones would be my pick. .
Have fun!
Thanks . You have given us a mark to shoot for in a new , for us , venue .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
User avatar
HDNB
Site Mod
Posts: 7360
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:04 am
Location: the f-f-fu frozen north

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by HDNB »

Thanks pigroaster! I was rolling the misting around in my head to -as you say- help the smoke stick. I'm just working out the smoking trays now, ive got some SS screen i think will do.
the paper bag rest seems a good idea too.
I finally quit drinking for good.

now i drink for evil.
pigroaster
Novice
Posts: 62
Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2006 5:41 pm
Location: Canada: Where fish say "Eh"

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by pigroaster »

Any household screen will work if you cold smoke. Don't be afraid to stir when you mist with RO water. Do not use treated city water. Just make sure you have holes for the smoke to go through the layers and allow contact area. I throttle down the exit smoke stack to let the smoke linger longer. It takes about 6 sticks to do a batch. Tricky to get it started but a MAP torch is my friend. Get it going, cover the lid and use small propane heat under cast iron tray to continue the magic. The smell is magic! Do not mist the last 20 minutes as you want the barley at 12-14% moisture or less for storage. The paper towels will act as a moisture wick as well in the brown paper bags. I use masking tape to seal my bags. Time to start another batch.
User avatar
JellybeanCorncob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 485
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:18 am
Location: Under the Redwood Trees

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Thanks Pigroaster: I've got all the parts to build my cold smoker. I'm hoping that the master grill cold smoker will be easier than lighting the Turf with propane. I haven't used it yet but theoretically all you have to do is load the chamber and flip a switch. I'll post some picks of it in action.
JBC
JBC
User avatar
JellybeanCorncob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 485
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:18 am
Location: Under the Redwood Trees

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

Here's what I came up with.
IMG_0772.JPG
I attached a 4" aluminum flexible tube to my Masterbuilt smoker unit and the other end I attached to a Webber smokey Joe charcoal grill. I needed to season the smoke unit so I put two handfuls of JD chips in and flipped the switch. Here it is after about twenty minutes.
IMG_0773.JPG
IMG_0774.JPG
After an hour I shut off the smoker and it smoldered for the next 45 minutes. The smoke it produced was incredible. I smelled like I had spent the night in front of a campfire with the smoke blowing right on me.
I had a thermometer in the Webber and the temperature never went over 6 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the outside temperature.
For smoking the grains I made 2 baskets. I used aluminum screen, heavy aluminum wire formed into a circle, and some thin wire to stitch the screen to the heavier wire.
IMG_0775.JPG
When I smoke the grains I'll use a mister like Pigroaster suggested and spritz and role every 20 to 30 minutes for maybe 2 hours and see what I get. But first I want to smoke some cracked corn to see how it goes. I want to be sure that I can get good smoke penetration before I use the peat (turf) for my malt.
Thanks again Jimy Dee for the Peat!
Any suggestions for wood to smoke the corn with would be appreciated.
JBC
JBC
RedwoodHillBilly

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

Very nice. I guess I'll have to get off of the fence and get one for my MasterBilt smoker, so I can cold smoke meat. BTW, how goes on the the thumper? If you need help or parts, let me know.
User avatar
Truckinbutch
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 8107
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:49 pm

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by Truckinbutch »

I'm impressed :thumbup: About the same path I would take . Interesting thought about smoking cracked corn .
If you ain't the lead dog in the team , the scenery never changes . Ga Flatwoods made my avatar and I want to thank him for that .
Don't drink water , fish fornicate in it .
User avatar
Jimy Dee
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 217
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 2:20 pm
Location: The Munster Republic, Ireland

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by Jimy Dee »

JBC - top class and well wear. Hope is serves you for years to come.
User avatar
JellybeanCorncob
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 485
Joined: Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:18 am
Location: Under the Redwood Trees

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by JellybeanCorncob »

RedwoodHillBilly wrote:Very nice. I guess I'll have to get off of the fence and get one for my MasterBilt smoker, so I can cold smoke meat. BTW, how goes on the the thumper? If you need help or parts, let me know.
I ordered the tri-clamps, ferrules and PTFE gaskets from Amazon and they sent the wrong sizes and silicone gaskets. Go figure? I'll pm you. Ok?
Also the Masterbuilt unit works better than I expected. Walmart had the best price, and free shipping. 2 day delivery also.
Truckinbutch wrote:I'm impressed :thumbup: About the same path I would take . Interesting thought about smoking cracked corn .
Thanks
I think I would like a light smokey Bourbon. I have read some posts by woodshed. He does smoked corn I believe. I think it would add something special to bourbon. I guess I have to research woods to smoke with. :egeek:

JBC
JBC
RedwoodHillBilly

Re: When Irish eyes are Smiling

Post by RedwoodHillBilly »

JellybeanCorncob wrote: I ordered the tri-clamps, ferrules and PTFE gaskets from Amazon and they sent the wrong sizes and silicone gaskets. Go figure? I'll pm you. Ok?

JBC
Let me know what you need. I probably have enough here as spares. If so you can have them and replace them later. We'll figure it out, but let's not let little things hold you up.
Post Reply