Lagavulin recipe

[The Sodd]

Hi all,
Very much a newbie (here in Oz) to home distilling so I'm still using the sugar wash and the still spirits flavourings. I've had my fun with the liquers and ready made booze like bourbon etc. Not great but having a ball anyway.

Now I'm in the experimentation stage (spreading the wings so to speak) and would like to replicate (or as close to) some Lagavulin. Got the colour, kick and I think the smoothness worked out but cannot seem to get that smokey/peaty smell about things.
I've tried adding peat smoke essence and have added as much as 16mls to a bottle. I get the peaty flavour aftertaste after a couple of days (almost) but not the same smell when I line it up against the real thing, practically no peaty smokey smell at all when sniffing. Am I being too ambitious or impatient ???? ha ha. This may sound strange ....... but I have even been thinking that maybe I may have to make up some sort of bong like apparatus to pump smoke through the water that I would cut with the alcohol (this probably demonstates my lack of knowledge)

Does anyone out there have a Lagavulin recipe please ? That they make themselves from scratch.

If anyone does or has anything which is close, can you please let me know what it is. Also, being a newbie, could you list in order how you do things and timeframes involved if you have to let things sit for a while.
Would really appreciate some help and guidance.
Cheers
Sodd

[Dnderhead]

your never going to replicate anything but the worse with essence.
mash /ferment peated barley.then age in a barrel.

[kiwistiller]

Gidday, If you want to clone a islay malt, you're going to want to do it properly IMHO - using peated malt. The Lagavulin malt averages about 35 ppm phenols, so you'll want to use mostly heavy peated distilling malt. It's a relatively high OG wash, so aim you mash for 9% potential. Ferment with a scotch distillers yeast, or maybe a nice ale yeast if you can't find safspirit malt or similar. Distill the low wines down to 1% to lower your spirit run ABV. your spirit run still charge should be 25% ABV. Run the spirit run slow - lagavulin runs their still the slowest out of the Islay guys. Interestingly, they also leave less headspace than anyone else, leaving less surface area of the boiler to generate passive refux - which would in theory have an almost opposite effect compared with their run speed. Their spirit (hearts) cut is about 72 - 59% ABV (the foreshot / heads is a tiny cut, though slightly longer than most distilleries on the island). If you're doing more than one spirit run, recycle everything. It's aged mostly on 3rd fill american oak bourbon casks, and depending on the expression sometimes finished in sherry casks. If you used some oak to make UJSM a couple of times before using it for this and then added a dash of sherry you'd probably be in the ballpark. Age at 63.5% for a long long time.

That would be the legitimate way....

If you want to cut corners, Are you making your own peat smoke essence? if not, try Harry's essence of peat reek (search for it) with a malt extract wash or something (you're not going to get there with sugar), say 30% bourbon barrel chunks from a home brew store, 70% oak chips / sticks that you've soaked in neutral a couple of times to deplete them a bit, some time on the oak and a bit of sherry to taste after aging.

I haven't found a good substitute for time though.

Good luck! It's a pretty high target for a novice, but there's nothing like deep end learning.

[blind drunk]

It's a pretty high target for a novice, but there's nothing like deep end learning.

+1

It's even fun if you drown a little whilst in the deep end.

FYI - I've never before in my life used the word "whilst". I just want to be perfectly clear on that.

[rtalbigr]

Kiwi - great info!! While I'm not a fan of heavy peated it's still extremely interesting knowing how distiller's "target" their product. I read not long ago how Scotch distillers start with a specific abv for their spirit runs.

I've experimented with different abv's for aging but never thought a distiller would specify an exact abv for the specific flavor of it's product, but it makes perfect sense.

Big R

[The Sodd]

Thanks for the replies guys, had to look up what abv and ujsm was though shows how much knowledge I have, up to date what I've been turning out has kept me in a happy state !
Kiwi, thanks for the detailed reply and info. Have the ingredients on the way and found the "peat reek" recipe so will give that a shot ..... should be fun. Will also try aging at the % you recommend.
Cheers
Sodd

[Bursal]

Watching this thread with interest as I am a fan of heavily peated malt whisky. My new still is still in production but malt whisky is one aim.

Looking forward to hearing about your malt whisky adventures Sodd.

[The Sodd]

Thanks Bursal,
Will keep everyone informed how it goes. Am not experienced (or is that brave enough ?) or cashed up enough to try a malted wash just yet, so it will have to be the sugar wash for the moment. Got to crawl before I can walk. Oak chips arrived this morning so now just have to hit the local garden store for some peat to make up the "peat reek". We don't have an electric stove so will raid the camping equipment and be very, very carefull When I mentioned what I was up to I got some really questioning looks from the wife ha ha. She thinks I'm nuts.
Cheers
Sodd

[The Sodd]

Well ..... "peat Reek" didn't turn out so well. No "reek" about it. Has anyone else on the forum made this stuff ?

So for the moment I have a batch going in a flagon with charred oak chips floating around in it. Mixed up at 63.5% (thanks for the advice kiwi) and still looking for that"smokey" smell when sniffed.

After a bit of research I came across someone on this forum who suggests giving the whisky mix a bit of a shake every day as this helps to mature things so have been doing that. This seems to be having some sort of effect as the colour is very nice and it is smelling so much better too. 100 good shakes every morning.

Will see how this goes for a fortnight and then taste (this is when I run out of made up booze).
I also have another batch bubbling away in the shed using a recipe with tomato paste after reading that this may be better end product than turbo classic.
A great hobby for experimenting
Cheers
Sodd

[Prairiepiss]

What would be wrong with doing a sugarhead with peated malt. Like a UJSSM but use the peated malt instead of corn? I'm just thinking outloud here. Your already making a sugar wash it isn't much harder to add some peated malt to it.

[Odin]

PP,

I have been doing just that. Well, a mixture of corn & peated malt. Works out great. Gives extra depth to your corn likker. The combination does take some time to really get the peated malt over. A bit similar to when I started corn UJSSM. First gens were not so good, after gen 3 the corn taste really came thru. Same happens with the peated malt now. Took a few gens, but now it is definitely there!

Why not go for a UJSSM completely based on peated malt? I think the only thing to consider is the amount of nutrients in peated malt. In UJSSM the corn is for taste & ingredients to make the yeast happier. I don't know about the nutricial value of peated malt, but there should be info on this forum about that.

Odin.

[Dnderhead]

liquid smoke?? if thats what you want? its made by destructive distilling.
not much to it.it something like distilling without the water.a pot/lid of appropriate
size and some tubing.,camp stove? ,as this is something you want to do outside.

place material in pot seal on lid. place pot on heat. the end of tubing goes into
jar/ bottle filled with water/alcohol? or what ever. as the smoke/vapor bubbles
threw the water it leave behind the "smoke"

then you can use this as you want Barbe sauce for those rainy days?
(one side effect,if you used wood in pot you also have charcoal)

[Prairiepiss]

That's a nifty idea Dnderhead. I would have never thought of that.

[The Sodd]

Thanks guys, great ideas coming through.

Prairiepiss ..... will look into what you suggest, sure I seen a thread on the forum about this somewhere. Would be like a combination of ujssm with what Kiwi and Odin suggested.

Dnderhead ...... your suggestion is much better than what I originally thought of doing .... a bong like set-up with vaccuum cleaner attached to suck the smoke through the water Never smoked a bong but have seen one in action, don't think the neighbours would have been impressed at a giant bong in the backyard A camp oven setup would look more "legit" ha ha.

One thing I do know is that 16mls of still spirit peat smoke per bottle is way too much. Very gritty peaty taste and aftertaste (bottle has been sitting for a week) quite nice though, but still no smokeyness when sniffed. So am trying out 8mls per bottle in the mix at 63.5% then will cut back to 43% in a week and a half (when I run out of booze).

As I'm still learning, I've been sticking to the Still Spirits recipes. Part of the (still spirits) recipe involves the use of Glycerine which has been good to smooth things out. Any ideas of what can be used as a substitute as I find that this can impart a very sweet flavour to things ?? Something that will smooth things out but not be as sweet.
Cheers
Sodd

[TexasReflux]

Kiwi! Thank you.

As far as essences go, I would stay away completely. God only knows whats in them and plus, there is really no other way to make a high quality drinkable product than quality ingredients in, time and patience. Trust me, I love a peated single malt scotch and have made some before, so far my favorite.

That said, have fun and if it works, go for it.

I do like the bong idea. Maybe you could peat smoke some water and then add this to your mash? Haven't a clue if it would carry over in the distillate but worth a try. The peat flavor comes over in grain, why not?

[The Sodd]

Kiwi and Texas,
You are right ..... won't get there with a sugar wash. Got into it over the weekend (could'nt wait). While it was very nice and smooth it was not what I was looking for. Definately a lot better than most of the commercial scotches you buy off the shelf at the liquor store.

The "bonged" water was like drinking smokey water uggggg !! If that makes sense, maybe I put too much smoke through and it still did'nt give that smokey smell when sniffed. Just smelt "stale". Dropped that idea quick smart and back to the natural spring water to cut it with.

Will have to get hold of some malted barley.
Anyone know where to get it in Aus ? Price ?? And how much would be required for a 25ltr fermenter and roughly how much alcohol to expect ? etc etc.
Cheers
Sodd

[rookie]

Anyone know where to get it in Aus ? Price ?? And how much would be required for a 25ltr fermenter and roughly how much alcohol to expect ? etc etc.

Here in Aus I can only find Baird's medium peated malt about AUD75 a 20kg bag from most HBS. Makes a good (great) "Scotch" style lightly peated malt when mixed 40% to 60% Golden Promise. Golden Promise about AUD60 from HBS. For a 23 litre wash I use a total of 7 kgs should produce with 80% mashing efficiency SG 1.069 for around 10% ABV. With a narrow cut 80% to 65% on the first run you should get a little less than 2.5litres @ 65% ABV plus about a litre of feints - on the next run using your feints you should get a little more than 3litres of ABV 65% I use SAF Whisky yeast.

Hope this helps & Good Luck

[biker geek]

You might try looking up "partial mash" beer brewing. It's easy, and you probably have the equipment to do it. Start with about 3lbs of peated malt, and 7 lbs of pilsner malt extract(assuming a 5 gal batch). heat 3 qts of water to 130 deg F, remove from heat, throw in grain (cracked and put into a grain bag). Let it for rest for 20 min. put the pot back on low heat until it gets to 150 deg F, take the pot off heat and cover and rest for 20 min. After 20 min remove the grain bag from the mash and dissolve the the malt extract in the wash. put the wash into a fermenter and top off with cold water. Pitch yeast at 80 deg or less.

You can get liquid malt extract (LME) that is peated as well. You could just dissolve peated LME into water and pitch yeast. There are lots of descriptions of partial mash and extract brewing on the internet. Try the John Palmer site

[Dnderhead]

its a heavy peated single malt,,that means it is made from all peated barley malt.

[rookie]

Just a quick follow up to my earlier post. In Aus, which Sodd's question related to,

Anyone know where to get it in Aus ? Price ?? And how much would be required for a 25ltr fermenter and roughly how much alcohol to expect ? etc etc.

I have not been able to find any peated malt other than Baird's medium peated malt. At only 8-10ppm you will never be able to make an Islay style malt with it. SO the only way to increase the level of peat is with an essence of some kind. Has anyone had success with essence replicating the peaty (AND) smokey taste of an Islay?

[dakotasnake]

another thing you could try, and iv done several is to smoke the corn or any grain in a standard smoker with wood chips of your choice, iv even put the sugar in containers and smoked that to. than ferment and still as normal. a nice smokey flavor comes thru. if ya have a thumper load that to, even more comes thru.