Whisky For Breakfast
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 3:17 pm
This recipe is time consuming, complicated and basically a pain in the butt. Not recommended for beginners or those that are in a hurry. Patience, Grasshopper. Craftsmanship takes time, and is it's own reward. If you're in a rush, hike on down to your favorite spirits purveyor and purchase a BOJ of WHJ.
That translates into 'Big Ole Jug' of 'Who Hit John'.
DAY ONE
1. Put 10# Whole Oats* in a medium oven (250F) and toast until they are nicely browned and smell like oatmeal cookies. Don't over do it. Stir often.
2. Cool off your oats to room temp and set aside.
3. Make your maple caramel: Slowly cook some maple syrup over low heat until it caramelizes. Don't stir. Careful, this stuff is hot. Culinary Lava.
4. When the caramel gets to room temp, add a bit of water to make a dark syrup…not too much. Put in a covered jar and set aside.
5. Invert 5# Dark Brown Sugar, 2 quarts water and 1/4 Cup of Lemon Juice in a large pot over medium high heat for an hour or so. Set aside.
6. Before you go to bed, soak your whole oats, 10# Steel Cut Oats and 3# Six Row Malt, finely ground in boiling water to cover by a good six inches. I use my BOC (Big Ole Cooler). Stir the hell out of it and take its temp. Adjust with hot or ice water to get it to 155F. Cover and keep warm overnight.
DAY TWO
7. Put your grains, with water and your inverted brown sugar in a BOP and add water to cover by 12 inches.
8. Put BOP on medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until temp gets back to 155F. Hold there for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You may need to add some water if it gets too thick.
9. When mash is loose and 'slippery', add 3# dried apples. Crank the heat up to high and boil the hell out of it. Stir it very often and cook for about 30 minutes. Test with iodine and proceed accordingly. If your not familiar with the iodine test, just search UJ's posts. I think he invented it.
10. Turn off the heat and add 3-4 cinnamon sticks.
11. Using 'ice bombs', chill the mash down to 155F as quick as you can. An ice bomb is a plastic jug of water that's frozen. Don't forget to put the lid on the plastic jug.
12. When mash is back to 155F (again), add 3-in-1 enzyme or Pectolase Enzyme (Brewhaus). Let this rest for a few hours.
13. Get your yeast started: 2 Packs of Whisky Yeast with AG, warm water mixed in with some of your wort. Adjust this mixture down to 70F before adding yeast. Let it grow for a couple hours while the wort cools off. Use more ice bombs to speed up the chilling. I told you this was a pain in the ass.14. When the mash is at 70F, pull out the ice bombs and dump the whole mess into your fermenter along with the yeast starter. Slap a lid on it with an airlock and set to ferment for a week or two. I like to ferment low and slow, 'cuz I ain't in a hurry. About two weeks should do it. I knock down the cap twice every day, morning and night.
DAY WHATEVER?
15. When the fermentation is done, strain the wort and allow to settle for a few days, covered. Using clearing agent to clarify if you're so inclined.
16. When it's clear, rack off into your boiler, along with a handful of copper scraps, and do a fast, hard stripping run. Toss the first 100 ml of foreshots.
17. Clean out your boiler, rinse off your copper, and do a slow and easy spirit run, separating your cuts according to your custom. I use pint jars and fill the first and last four jars only half full…judgment call for you and your still. Taste and smell the squeeze as it comes off and you'll know when to make your cuts.
Allow your jars of juice to get a little air for a day or so. Blend the hearts with heads and tails to your liking.
Pour your blend into jars. I use half-gallon mason jars, so ymmv. Add some maple caramel, a few chips of maple wood and a few chunks of maple charcoal. This guy has some good stuff: http://realmontanacharcoal.net/shop.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Some folks like to add a little more cinnamon stick for aging, but be careful. That stuff can take over the flavor FAST!
Let experience and taste be your guide as to how much and how long to age before straining. It doesn't take long, and better a little wood for a long while than a lot of wood for a short while.
When it's ready, cut to your choice of abv and enjoy. I like it cut to about 25%, sipped neat with Norman Blake on the stereo and my pipe smoldering with some good English tobacco, a fire in the fireplace and furry critters milling about.
*Contrary to popular belief, you can use whole oats, without crushing them, in a mash. You just gotta cook the hell out of 'em.
That translates into 'Big Ole Jug' of 'Who Hit John'.
DAY ONE
1. Put 10# Whole Oats* in a medium oven (250F) and toast until they are nicely browned and smell like oatmeal cookies. Don't over do it. Stir often.
2. Cool off your oats to room temp and set aside.
3. Make your maple caramel: Slowly cook some maple syrup over low heat until it caramelizes. Don't stir. Careful, this stuff is hot. Culinary Lava.
4. When the caramel gets to room temp, add a bit of water to make a dark syrup…not too much. Put in a covered jar and set aside.
5. Invert 5# Dark Brown Sugar, 2 quarts water and 1/4 Cup of Lemon Juice in a large pot over medium high heat for an hour or so. Set aside.
6. Before you go to bed, soak your whole oats, 10# Steel Cut Oats and 3# Six Row Malt, finely ground in boiling water to cover by a good six inches. I use my BOC (Big Ole Cooler). Stir the hell out of it and take its temp. Adjust with hot or ice water to get it to 155F. Cover and keep warm overnight.
DAY TWO
7. Put your grains, with water and your inverted brown sugar in a BOP and add water to cover by 12 inches.
8. Put BOP on medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until temp gets back to 155F. Hold there for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You may need to add some water if it gets too thick.
9. When mash is loose and 'slippery', add 3# dried apples. Crank the heat up to high and boil the hell out of it. Stir it very often and cook for about 30 minutes. Test with iodine and proceed accordingly. If your not familiar with the iodine test, just search UJ's posts. I think he invented it.
10. Turn off the heat and add 3-4 cinnamon sticks.
11. Using 'ice bombs', chill the mash down to 155F as quick as you can. An ice bomb is a plastic jug of water that's frozen. Don't forget to put the lid on the plastic jug.
12. When mash is back to 155F (again), add 3-in-1 enzyme or Pectolase Enzyme (Brewhaus). Let this rest for a few hours.
13. Get your yeast started: 2 Packs of Whisky Yeast with AG, warm water mixed in with some of your wort. Adjust this mixture down to 70F before adding yeast. Let it grow for a couple hours while the wort cools off. Use more ice bombs to speed up the chilling. I told you this was a pain in the ass.14. When the mash is at 70F, pull out the ice bombs and dump the whole mess into your fermenter along with the yeast starter. Slap a lid on it with an airlock and set to ferment for a week or two. I like to ferment low and slow, 'cuz I ain't in a hurry. About two weeks should do it. I knock down the cap twice every day, morning and night.
DAY WHATEVER?
15. When the fermentation is done, strain the wort and allow to settle for a few days, covered. Using clearing agent to clarify if you're so inclined.
16. When it's clear, rack off into your boiler, along with a handful of copper scraps, and do a fast, hard stripping run. Toss the first 100 ml of foreshots.
17. Clean out your boiler, rinse off your copper, and do a slow and easy spirit run, separating your cuts according to your custom. I use pint jars and fill the first and last four jars only half full…judgment call for you and your still. Taste and smell the squeeze as it comes off and you'll know when to make your cuts.
Allow your jars of juice to get a little air for a day or so. Blend the hearts with heads and tails to your liking.
Pour your blend into jars. I use half-gallon mason jars, so ymmv. Add some maple caramel, a few chips of maple wood and a few chunks of maple charcoal. This guy has some good stuff: http://realmontanacharcoal.net/shop.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow Some folks like to add a little more cinnamon stick for aging, but be careful. That stuff can take over the flavor FAST!
Let experience and taste be your guide as to how much and how long to age before straining. It doesn't take long, and better a little wood for a long while than a lot of wood for a short while.
When it's ready, cut to your choice of abv and enjoy. I like it cut to about 25%, sipped neat with Norman Blake on the stereo and my pipe smoldering with some good English tobacco, a fire in the fireplace and furry critters milling about.
*Contrary to popular belief, you can use whole oats, without crushing them, in a mash. You just gotta cook the hell out of 'em.