Scotch Recipe

[kevin007]

Hi all! I hope I am not an annoying newb when I ask this question. I have studied these threads and researched online for weeks. I am familiarized myself with the fundementals of mash making, sg's, abv's, heads, hearts and tails. etc. I have purchased a 20 liter alembic potstill, and all the equipment needed for an all grain mash. I am waiting for it to arrive and continue to research hard to get a reliable recipe. I intend to use the BIAB method (Brew In a Bag) and will use crushed barley from the mountainous region close to me. I just need a recipe! So many, vague recipes with missing info out there. Someone who has made Scotch using this method please just help by sending me a recipe. Example: X lbs of crushed barley to X liters of water. Mash for X amount of time at X temperature. Remove grain. Sparge use "X" liters of water. Now boil? (some SAY TO BOIL SOME DONT) Remove and cool (chill method or just wait?) OG should be "X" ferment for "X" amount of days. Final SG should be "X". Besides this looking for recommendations for yeast strains and can someone tell me what the ideal PH level is for the water? Again, sorry if this is too much of a newb question but I am a bit frustrated after putting in hours (about 72) of research over the last 6 weeks in what little time I have found only to fine there are ZERO basic step-by-step recipes out there to try. Lots of suggested methods with missing info but the above missing "X" factors are what I am looking to clarify. I am also open to all suggestions for malted barley types. I intended to use a barley grown in the local mountain region near me. I enjoy very lightly peated, fruity macallan and balvenie or Dalwhinnie type scotches. Anything from Highlands or Speyside is my dram. I don't love heavily peated Islay scotch. I intend to experiment with barrel aging in pre seasoned barrels if this preface helps at all with your recommendations for a recipe. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD can someone just post a recipe and end the maddening, fruitless, endless abyss of research I have been doing? Thanks. As of now I have gathered the following that need clarifying:

1, Some recipes suggest a standard grain bill of 2 lbs (0.9 KG) malt per gallon (4.5L) water. I;ve seen allot of recipes that deviate from this.
2. Some recipes suggest the ORIGINAL SG (SG after mashing but before fermentation) should be 1.050 but that 1.06 or 1.07 is ok. Another recipe says your original SG should NEVER be below 1.060. Others say your whiskey mash typically has an originating SG between 1.06 and 1.07.
3. I have read that the FINAL SG of Scotch should be around 1.010 which is 7% and should NEVER be more more than 9%. However, I also read that Ardbeg will often have 9-11% ABV wash before distilling.

Questions:
1. After mashing, is it OK to sparge/add filtered spring water to reach the desired ORIGINAL SG (which I can only assume is somewhere around 1.06) as needed?
2. Water Ph levels seem important. ANy info here? I have heard that pH should be about 6.0 before mashing and that Enzymes that convert sugars in mash need a ph in the 5.2-5.6 ph range. Most water has a Ph of 7 but the mashing lowers that 7 down a bit so adding Gypsum at the start will also lower it a bit and get it close to the 5.2 - 5.6 range that's optimal according to some sources. Any info on water would ne much appreciated.
3. Yeast: Type of yeast and pitch temp is really divergent from recipe to recipe. Many reicpes don't even specify the type of yeast but the pitching temp is all over the place. One says pitch at between 23 C another at 26 °C. Some recipes say to pitch at 32 degree or 30 degree. This will obviously depend on the yeast and to a certain extent I assume I will just follow the yeast package instructions but according to other recipes, the wort should be cooled to about 21 degrees c (or 68f) before pitching and that anything between 15-25 degrees c is acceptable to ferment and pitch yeast. One guys says to pitch hot 9over 26 c) to get really good fruity esters (that's what I am after) but yet another says to pitch between 15-25 c. Can anyone just dumb this down and recommend a yeast and pitch temp?
4. Fermenting: This is again all over the place. One recipe ferments for just one day. One for 3 days until its 5-7% ABV. Some recipes said 10 days. One said that when the ferment dies allow it an extra week or two to develop esters and to "Don't worry if you see a milky surface". I am new to fermenting and some clear guidelines would be much appreciate. Example: Pitch the yeast and ferment for X days. at X temp.