Peat smoke injection into wash or low wines

[pope]

I'm considering this and thought I'd ask the community since I'm not sure exactly how to achieve this but I'll tell you what I'm thinking, where I'm at, and I'm hoping if it's a bad idea there's someone to tell me they've tried it and to not go down this road.

I got into steam injecting a smash because I do e-heat and scorched some flour slurry onto my element. A lot of cleaning, ho-humming, and more cleaning later I dumped the smoky low wines, built a new boiler and use the old boiler to generate steam and inject it into the new still to steam cook my mash for stripping runs.

Now, lets say you were able to burn some peat instead of flour bits, and then somehow inject that smoke through a single malt wash or low wines. Kind of like a hookah or bong, but (having never used one) my understanding is it takes some suction on the part of the end user to draw that smoke through.

That's as far as I've gotten. Good/bad idea? Shut my trap or think this one through? This doesn't sound that different from how I expect liquid smoke to be made, and I feel like inserting the caveat that I'm not trying to clone Scotch, just curious about what flavors might present.

[Saltbush Bill]

Ive tasted a scotch style whisky made that way.
The smoke was bubbled through the low wines from memory. It was probably the best Scotch clone that I have tasted to date. A member of Empty Glasses forum was the maker.

[pope]

Have you ever come across anything made with liquid smoke to compare by memory? Obviously very unscientifically but I'd love to hear from anyone who has some comparisons. I found a liquid smoke method on youtube, its basically made by creating a condensation source in the smoke path such that the condensate collects the smoke particles like a little hobbled-together reflux column with an icy top.

I was thinking I could have a 'burn' keg and cook burning peat in it on a propane burner, piping it into the bottom of a low wines vessel like I do with the steam distilling. If the smoke doesn't deliver by itself I could add an inlet and push it along with a little bit of air pressure. Sounds about as gross, dangerous, and half-baked as everything else I try for the sake of this pursuit.

[cayars]

Pope, is it going to be actual Peat you'll use or some other thing to create the smoke? I think it matters!

I tried an experiment last summer when I moistened some cracked corn and laid them out over a screen on the top grill of my outdoor grill. I don't have a smoker so I improvised. I then put some smoking chips in a can with a couple wholes punched in the top right over a burner on one side.

It definitely got a very smoky flavor but wasn't the correct flavor since I used wood but it showed promise. If I had actual peat I'd probably try this again but maybe put the can under the grill opening in the bottom and allow the smoke to rise up into the grill via metal tubing. Could always use a propane touch to heat the can and get the can smoking just the right amount (unless I bought an actual smoker or made one).

I'm sure this would work with fresh malted barley and actual peat but could also likely be used to smoke any grain somewhat to impart that special smoke. I doubted it would work in my rough experiment so I just used cheap CC.

But I think a good peat or something very similar is key? While not Irish or Scotch moss you could try peat moss you get at Lowes or HD as it's at least in the moss family. It will likely be more musty than sweet like Irish moss but likely better than using woods. Might be worth an experiment to see if getting the real-deal moss is worth it to do some proper smoking.

Maybe check out the following thread for an idea or two. viewtopic.php?f=15&t=28881

[pope]

I have some Scottish burning peat from an importer of Scottish goods, it has been gathering dust for a few years. Looks a lot like coal. My thought is, why smoke malt when I can smoke low wines? Isn’t smoking malt part of the actual malting process? Figured it makes more sense for me to try working with what I’ve got.

[NZChris]

If you don't want to risk having flammables in your smoker, smoke a tray of RO water.

I wanted some smoked water to kick start some seeds, so I scraped some smoke off the wall of my smoker and added it to water. It smells like smoke to me.

[hellbilly007]

A cold smoke generator pressurized with an aquarium pump with a stainless steel or copper smoke wand should get you what you're describing. Something like this https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Daddy-Kahu ... 5032&psc=1

[pope]

Yes! This exactly. Killer. Glad it looks in real life like it did in my head (just smaller).

[Durhommer]

Ok I didnt steam inject but I did use a pound peated malt in a mash ive never made something before with this aroma and flavor.definetly will be introducing this backset into future corn mashes now I understand a tiny bit more about islay style drink

[cayars]

I have some Scottish burning peat from an importer of Scottish goods, it has been gathering dust for a few years. Looks a lot like coal. My thought is, why smoke malt when I can smoke low wines? Isn’t smoking malt part of the actual malting process? Figured it makes more sense for me to try working with what I’ve got.

I get that thought, but also keep in mind the Scots use mostly, if not all malted barley when the smoke it during the malting process, so they are smoking their grains to impart this flavor which then gets fermented. You could smoke any moist grains I'd think for a similar flavor that would make it into the fermentation (guessing).

There has been a lot of interesting ideas put forward in this thread worth trying to see what works best or gets you the closest flavor. I look forward to following this thread to see what you try and how it works out. Smoking or flavoring your RO water would allow you to "dial in" the amount of smokey imparted!

This is the kind of creativity I love to read about!

[pope]

Cayars my hope is that I overdo it and create a peaty spirit run from low wines and do some blending after aging. I'm sure it will be different (somehow) from smoking malt to dry, but I'm not necessarily after a specific flavor matching, just hoping for something good, interesting, and at the very least something that will scratch the itch of curiosity.

Rather than shell out $100+ on the smoker attachment I think I can get a $10 SS bain marie (same kind of thing I have used to make sugar maple charcoal), this time instead of a hole for breathing on top I'll weld a triclamp fitting on one end and a small tube through the other and a little bit on the bottom so I can use an aquarium pump to pump in a little air to get the venturi going and to stoke the fire. Since it'll be cold I can probably just smoke in an open vessel, first test will probably be tiny, like a mason jar. Got a few things to gather but I will try and get this buttoned up in the next couple weeks or so!

[Evil Wizard]

I've made liquid smoke before and I can tell you about it. I'd suggest making it separately then adding to your distillate by taste rather than "bubbling" it through.

Propane burner
Cast Iron tray / wide pan
Tin foil
Wood chips
Steel bowl or very tall lid
ferrule 3"
Triclamp 180deg 3"
Graham Condensor 3"
Bowl of water

Soak the wood chips and drain (does peat absorb water? Probably since its moss.)
wrap them in foil but leave an opening at the top for steam to rise. A broad shallow layer is best so you needn't flip the chips.
I soldered a 3" copper ferrule to a stainless lid with Ruby flux and silver solder.
Place the bowl flat on the cast iron. My iron was sold as a smoking tray for BBQs I think. I didn't find vapour getting out around the edges - this isnt ethanol
Build a steep downward lyne arm and attach the condensor to the bottom. Manage the weight distribution with braces/bungees etc.
Place a bowl of water under the condensor to catch the particles.

Put the propane on really low. Smokey steam will rise and be cooled and be caught in your bowl.

It wont take much of this smoke concentrate to flavour whatever you got. Probly you could add salt and spray onto meats and cheeses like they do with most grocery store food sold as "smoked".

[NZChris]

I like Evil's liquid smoke

While smoking cheese, butter and pancetta this morning, I had the idea that I could chill then cold smoke a tray of marbles. The marbles can be added to the whiskey without any dilution happening.