Tennessee Whiskey Cloning Project

[Arcane Outlaw]

I am very interested in being able to produce a Tennessee style whiskey. In particular, a style similar to Jack Daniels more so than George Dickel because I prefer JD over Dickel. One thing I learned in beer brewing is to always look at the producer of the original product if you wanted to create something similar. Therefore, I have been researching this style. I have noticed that the parent site and a few forum post have referred to a JD recipe, but what I have learned has been slightly different. The problem is mostly with the grain bill percentage. Anyway, I have decided to post what I have currently learned. The following information comes straight from the respective web sites of the distilleries themselves so I must assume it is correct, but please feel free to post something to the contrary if you have additional info

Concerning Jack Daniels:

Recipe consists of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye, yeast, and iron-free spring water

6 day fermentation to produce 5% alcohol

Sour mash used

Use 100' tall copper, continuous column with water cooled condenser

40,000 gallons of wash produces 8,000 gallons distillate

1st distillation produces 55-60% low wine

2nd distillation produces 67.5-70%

Charcoal mellowing (using sugar maple charcoal) in 8 feet wide, round, 14 feet tall vats containing 10 feet deep charcoal; Takes 4 to 6 days to filter batch at less than 8 gallons per minute flow rate

Age for 4 years at 59% (118 proof) in new, charred American white oak barrels

Concerning George Dickel:

Secret recipe of corn, barley, and rye

Corn cooked 212 degrees F then cooled to 180 degrees F; Add rye and cook again; Cool to 145 degrees F and add malted barley to mash and convert

Mash soured by adding spent beer (portion of fermented mash that is a by-product of leftover of previous days double-distillation)

Ferment 3 to 4 days to get 6% ABV

1st distillation is column still

2nd distillation is pot-still doubler

Chilled prior to filtration on sugar maple charcoal

Filtered through 10 feet charcoal; Wool blanket on top and bottom for uniform dispersion and to hold in the charcoal; Takes 7 to 10 days.

[Arcane Outlaw]

From the article "George Dickel: the Other Tennessee Whiskey" by John Hansell in the Malt Advocate magazine (Hansell interviewed the Dickel Distillery Manager John Lunn):

Dickel recipe consist of 84% corn, 8% malted barley, and 8% rye

1st distillation in continuous column

2nd distillation in pot still (doubler or thumper)

Distillate is chilled to 40 degree F during filtration; Chilling removes heavier components

Takes approximately 7 days to filter through sugar maple charcoal to remove harshness

Filter vats contain charcoal via wool blankets and stainless steel plates with holes

use low fusel oil yeast

Aged in new charred oak barrels; Time dependant upon a specific flavor profile, but in general #8 aged 8 to 10 years, #12 aged 10 to 12 years, and barrel select 11 to12 years; All Dickel best aged 12 years or less.


I remember reading thst UJ said that JD would give him hangovers, but that Dickel did not. I bet the chill mellowing of the Dickel versus the non-chill JD explains this occurrence. It seems that Dickel is really concerned about fusel oils.

[sparky marky]

interesting read...

seems to me that if you want to try to clone one of these whiskeys you have enough info right there!

you just have to scale it all down...

use their grain bill
ferment
double distill
carbon filter
age on charred american white oak

[Arcane Outlaw]

What I am curious about is at what proof is the distillate charcoal mellowed? 70% or 59%?? I have not seen anything listed yet. If I had to take a guess, I would say 59% since some things I have read about carbon filtering say do it at 40-50%. Does anybody have the exact answer from say visiting the distillery or something else

[Tater]

Seems like I saw that info on this site. http://www.jackdaniels.com/TheDistiller ... lTour.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[kiwistiller]

interesting read...

seems to me that if you want to try to clone one of these whiskeys you have enough info right there!

you just have to scale it all down...

use their grain bill
ferment
double distill
carbon filter
age on charred american white oak

Charcoal filtering and carbon filtering are a little different.

[Arcane Outlaw]

Seems like I saw that info on this site. http://www.jackdaniels.com/TheDistiller ... lTour.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

The Jack Daniels virtual tour is where I got a lot of the info, but I do not recall seeing the exact proof of the distillate during charcoal filtering. Maybe I missed it, but unlikely because I was taking notes when I watched the tour so I was replaying multiple times to take the notes.

BTW kiwistiller, you are certainly right about the difference of carbon vs. charcoal filtering. Two totally different species. One = no taste, the other = sooty taste which I love

[Tater]

There claimin 135 proof from still .Dont see where they cut it before filterin it through charcoal.

[Hillbilly dog]

When I toured JD I thought they said they barrel at 140 proof and adjusted proof after barrel before filtering.

[Odin]

Sour mash percentage should be around 40% I read somewhere ... For JD that is.

Odin.

[zouthernborne]

Has anyone actually attempted this yet? Whether they have or not, I plan on trying it next week just to add to my collection.

[Odin]

I attempted it in a UJSSM-style, but the corn I have is low on taste, so I didn't get there.

Odin.

[rtalbigr]

I've mashed and distilled using both the JD & GD grain bills although I didn't do the maple charcoal filtering. I can't say that they emulate JD or GD but they both make really nice drinks.

Big R

[King Of Hearts]

There are some youtube videos about the History of Whiskey. JD is part 1 of 6. I'm pretty sure they said JD starts with a 10% beer and also gives the mash bill. Looks like once thru a beer still or coulmn still, 70% or 140 proof, filtered thru maple charcoal, 1 day to go thru.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... l1.5-1l2l0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Hillbilly dog]

Good YouTube link king of hearts

[zouthernborne]

I was watching National Geographic channel last night and they aired an episode of Ultimate Factories that was about Jack Daniels. An interesting hour. The long travel of the whiskey through all that charcoal, seems like it would strip it of some flavor. I'm a fan of Gentleman Jack myself, but that's about it.

[Jar Head]

i belive i read that gentelmen jack is passed through the charcoal twice. once before its barreled then again after its removed.

[King Of Hearts]

But how is single barrel made? That's what I would like to know. Keep your Old No.7, Gentleman ain't bad, but that's all I can say about it.

[Prairiepiss]

But how is single barrel made? That's what I would like to know. Keep your Old No.7, Gentleman ain't bad, but that's all I can say about it.

The same way regular JD is. They just pick good barrels and instead of blending them with the rest of the barrels. It's bottled out of the barrel. Supposedly?

[King Of Hearts]

But how is single barrel made? That's what I would like to know. Keep your Old No.7, Gentleman ain't bad, but that's all I can say about it.

The same way regular JD is. They just pick good barrels and instead of blending them with the rest of the barrels. It's bottled out of the barrel. Supposedly?

LOL, they just pick good barrels.

[Padraig]

I don't know how you'd clone a Tennesse Whiskey without specifying which one. JD and Dickel have very different flavors. JD black label is the standard. Single barrel is just a good pick of some of that at the right place and time. Gentleman Jack is the same formulation run through the charcoal a second time (after aging) to remove any trace of flavor or character.

[Prairiepiss]

But how is single barrel made? That's what I would like to know. Keep your Old No.7, Gentleman ain't bad, but that's all I can say about it.

The same way regular JD is. They just pick good barrels and instead of blending them with the rest of the barrels. It's bottled out of the barrel. Supposedly?

LOL, they just pick good barrels.

Ok what they consider a good barrel.

[fullhouse]

the documentary said that the barrels highest in the storage house, where it was warmer, is where the good stuff came from up by the angels roost

[King Of Hearts]

the documentary said that the barrels highest in the storage house, where it was warmer, is where the good stuff came from up by the angels roost

Don't they have access to a thermistat? You would think if that was the case, they would keep all the barrels at that temp.

[Prairiepiss]

the documentary said that the barrels highest in the storage house, where it was warmer, is where the good stuff came from up by the angels roost

Don't they have access to a thermistat? You would think if that was the case, they would keep all the barrels at that temp.

They are just big barns with barrel racking in them the outside painted black. They want the temps to fluctuate. That is what moves the alcohol in and out of the wood. If they kept it at a constant temp it wouldn't work as good. So no they don't have a thermostat.

[King Of Hearts]

the documentary said that the barrels highest in the storage house, where it was warmer, is where the good stuff came from up by the angels roost

Don't they have access to a thermistat? You would think if that was the case, they would keep all the barrels at that temp.

They are just big barns with barrel racking in them the outside painted black. They want the temps to fluctuate. That is what moves the alcohol in and out of the wood. If they kept it at a constant temp it wouldn't work as good. So no they don't have a thermostat.

No heating or cooling at all? Thermistats can be programmed, I have one in my house, I paid $40 for it. I bet I could simulate the temps if I knew what they were, not hard at all. I think the difference comes from the barrel, some are just better, luck of the draw.

[Odin]

If you really want to clone JD, remember it is made by continuous distillation. Alcohol comes over at 140 proof. With all the heads & tails present ... Some tailsy tastes are taken out by the charcoal filtering. I heared that adding some maple syrup mimics the taste of the charcoal filtering. I did it and it does add flavour. It also gave me residu in the bottles, even after filtering extensively. I blame this on the maple syrup.

Odin.

[rtalbigr]

No heating or cooling at all? Thermistats can be programmed, I have one in my house, I paid $40 for it. I bet I could simulate the temps if I knew what they were, not hard at all. I think the difference comes from the barrel, some are just better, luck of the draw.

Just get the temp records for Linchburg, TN.

Big R

[Prairiepiss]

No they are just ageing barns.

Big R got it. I guess you could set I like there temps. But you need to adjust so it would reflect what the temps inside the barn would be.

[King Of Hearts]

No heating or cooling at all? Thermistats can be programmed, I have one in my house, I paid $40 for it. I bet I could simulate the temps if I knew what they were, not hard at all. I think the difference comes from the barrel, some are just better, luck of the draw.

Just get the temp records for Linchburg, TN.

Big R

and wood from Kentucky. It must be tradition, but why aren't they just adding wood to the spirit like we do? It seems to me more economical, and with science and technology these days I think they can figure out an aging process that would work the same.