Leftovers Whisky

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TwoSheds
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Leftovers Whisky

Post by TwoSheds »

So after making some Honey Bear and Sundae Chocolate Bourbons (thanks @ShineonCrazyDiamond for the great recipes) I want to use up some of my grains rather than store them. I got most of it wholesale through a group buy from the local homebrew club so I sort-of overbought.

Here's what I expect to have left:
  • White wheat malt - 16 lbs
    6 row barley - 2 pounds
    Red wheat malt - 45 lbs
    Pale ale malt - 44 lbs
    Oats 38 - lbs
    Rye malt - 50 pounds
    Chocolate wheat malt - 2 pounds
    Caramel malt - 2 pounds
I need to order the last two specialty malts from morebeer so I can add some (or pick up others) if it helps, but mostly the idea is to cut down the bulky stuff. Here's what I'm thinking for a 45 gallon batch:

Leftovers Whisky:
  • 25 pounds red wheat malt
    25 pounds pale ale malt
    25 pounds malted rye
    20 pounds flaked oats
    2 pounds 6 row
    2 pounds Chocolate wheat malt
    2 pounds Caramel malt
Shooting for something smooth like an Irish or un-peated Scotch, but not targeting any specific style. I use enzymes so I don't think I need to worry too much about diastatic power but I suspect there's plenty in there to convert.

Think the chocolate and caramel malts will get lost? I could pick up a little more but really just want them for nuance, not to overtake.

Too much rye?

Appreciate any feedback!

Thanks.

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EricTheRed
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by EricTheRed »

I am jealous of your leftovers.
Malts are stupid expensive here.
Envious
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TwoSheds
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

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EricTheRed wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 6:44 am I am jealous of your leftovers.
Malts are stupid expensive here.
Envious
If I could ship them I'd share! The local home brew club does a bulk buy with one of the microbreweries to tack onto their wholesale order. Lots of stuff gets down around the $1/pound range but you have to take full bags or find someone to split with. I didn't have much luck with splits.

Good local club too. I don't bother going to meetings (get enough of them at work) but there's an active facebook community.
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

Hey.

Your malted rye - is it "white" or caramelled one? You'd better use cararye for some beers, seriously. If it's white then okay to mash for whiskeys, imo.

If you put all your caramels together just make sure they don't exceed 20-25%. Otherwise you'll face all those "overtakes". And it won't be too sweet but will be too astringent.

And as you go some rye, oat, wheat and so forth... you go some Irish, not Scotch, eh? The more rye you use the more you think of triple distillation. Unless you're using 5 plates.

You're the boss there, anyways. That was just "any feedback" :)

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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by Ben »

TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 6:03 am
Too much rye?
Absolutely not, malted rye is delicious even at 90%, it is no where near as harsh or "spicy" as unmalted rye. You are pretty high on wheat and oat as well, going to be a sticky mash! That much wheat is definitely going to be an "American" whiskey. Will be delicious I bet!
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

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VLAGAVULVIN wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:09 am Hey.

Your malted rye - is it "white" or caramelled one? You'd better use cararye for some beers, seriously. If it's white then okay to mash for whiskeys, imo.
It's Briess kilned rye malt, BM-5332, sometimes listed as 'brown', so I don't know exactly what that means.

I haven't used any yet, maybe a test batch is in order.

Thanks for the other feedback too.
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by TwoSheds »

Ben wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 7:38 am
TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 6:03 am
Too much rye?
Absolutely not, malted rye is delicious even at 90%, it is no where near as harsh or "spicy" as unmalted rye. You are pretty high on wheat and oat as well, going to be a sticky mash! That much wheat is definitely going to be an "American" whiskey. Will be delicious I bet!
Thanks Ben. The oat is the item in there I don't think is adding a whole lot of flavor, but I've got a bag of it... Maybe I'll back off on that, increase the pale, and do an oat vodka with what's left.

Mashing will be... interesting... Planning to mash the oats like I do corn in bourbon and with high temp enzymes. The rye I'll mash separately as described by still_stirrin in this post: viewtopic.php?p=7559079#p7559079 and the rest of the grains I'll chuck in at 145.

Thanks again!
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by jonnys_spirit »

I read the title and thought to myself (you have leftover whiskey??? what's the secret??)..

Sounds great! I love cooking with various things I find in the fridge/freezer/pantry and that goes for likker too! This kind of thing is also very good for a second ferment rat-bastard-rumski-head adding panela/molasses and maybe some sugar and extra grains for the second ferment on spent grains depending on what you think you might enjoy...

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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:07 am Mashing will be... interesting... Planning to mash the oats like I do corn in bourbon and with high temp enzymes. The rye I'll mash separately as described by still_stirrin in this post: viewtopic.php?p=7559079#p7559079 and the rest of the grains I'll chuck in at 145.
Interesting,,, both mashing and stripping run. And that's a good idea, yeah:
still_stirrin wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 11:14 am For rye malt, I like to do a beta-gluconase rest at 100-115*F. Hold it for 30 minutes, and then bring it up to mash at 150*F, or add it to the corn mash (see below).
But you know wut? Hehe, have just <<separately held>> my Weyermann's CaraRye malt & oat flakes & some Ultrapeated Crisp malt for an hour at 115F and the main mashing on my Grainfather was later on okay till I decided to mash it out at 170F. Holy crap, I got almost stuck with filtration after that heating up. Think twice to overheat if you gonna filter it all with no concrete at the end :mrgreen:

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Re: Leftovers Whisky

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VLAGAVULVIN wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:10 am Interesting,,, both mashing and stripping run.
Oh I plan to cheat on stripping. I will cold crash to clear then put cleared wash into the 16 gallon kettle then half fill the 16 gallon thumper with the slops, basically steam stripping. Probably two runs to safely get through all that. Will add a couple sight glasses on top so I can watch for trouble.

I say all that, but haven't done it on a batch this big (or sticky) before so we'll see!!!

Sounds like you're having some fun yourself. I bet the peat will be a nice touch in there.
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am I will cold crash to clear then put cleared wash into the 16 gallon kettle then half fill the 16 gallon thumper with the slops, basically steam stripping.
Glad to hear of steam stripping. Modertate induction is more or less okay, too. But even the clearest rye beer burns on the open electric heaters.

TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am Sounds like you're having some fun yourself. I bet the peat will be a nice touch in there.
Yeah, it will be the Voss Kveik Porn farmhouse raw ale. No boiling, just pasteurization: adding Hersbrucker hops just into the mash made me lotsa fun.

It's bubbling now as crazy at almost 100F and looks pretty happy there. Two days and ready: that's wut the kveik is :)

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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by Stonecutter »

Sounds great Two Sheds. You’ll have plenty of “mouthfeel” with that one.
I agree with Ben. No way you’ve got too much Malted Rye. It’ll be delicious I’m sure. Those grassy notes in the tails from the rye malt are interesting and I do wonder how they’d age out if one were to take a hefty cut of them.
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

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VLAGAVULVIN wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:39 pm
TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am I will cold crash to clear then put cleared wash into the 16 gallon kettle then half fill the 16 gallon thumper with the slops, basically steam stripping.
Glad to hear of steam stripping. Modertate induction is more or less okay, too. But even the clearest rye beer burns on the open electric heaters.

TwoSheds wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am Sounds like you're having some fun yourself. I bet the peat will be a nice touch in there.
Yeah, it will be the Voss Kveik Porn farmhouse raw ale. No boiling, just pasteurization: adding Hersbrucker hops just into the mash made me lotsa fun.

It's bubbling now as crazy at almost 100F and looks pretty happy there. Two days and ready: that's wut the kveik is :)
Yikes! That was on cleared wash? I was hoping to put clear wash into the kettle with my 5.5kw low density element. I can dial it down, but if that happened with cleared wash I guess I might have to stick to true steam stripping, even for the cleared.

Enjoy the brew! Sounds fantastic.
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

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Stonecutter wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:49 pm Sounds great Two Sheds. You’ll have plenty of “mouthfeel” with that one.
I agree with Ben. No way you’ve got too much Malted Rye. It’ll be delicious I’m sure. Those grassy notes in the tails from the rye malt are interesting and I do wonder how they’d age out if one were to take a hefty cut of them.
Thanks. I'll likely make multiple blends for aging in 1/2 gal mason jars so I can do tight, wide, super wide, maybe even just deep tails in a jar, not necessarily for drinking alone but for adding back into the blend post aging.

Some day I'll upgrade to barrels but being able to play around with different wood, ABV, blends, etc. in half gallon batches is nice.

Thanks.

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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

TwoSheds wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 6:16 am Yikes! That was on cleared wash?
As clear as bear and as transparent as IPA :tired: (where's the cryin smiley here, dammit)

TwoSheds wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 6:16 am Enjoy the brew! Sounds fantastic.
Thanks, mate!
aRO5P-1E__A.jpg
That's more or less like that... sounds historical :angel:


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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by TwoSheds »

Wow, looks really interesting! Almost interesting enough for me to make beer, but not quite. Might have to suggest it to some of the local home brew guys and see if they'll trade the finished product for gin. LOL
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Re: Leftovers Whisky

Post by VLAGAVULVIN »

VLAGAVULVIN wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:43 am As clear as bear
As "beer", of course... oh, that Slavic background, tho :oops:

TwoSheds wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:01 am Might have to suggest it to some of the local home brew guys and see if they'll trade the finished product for gin. LOL
Hopped ferment is not bad for stilling. Although after bottling it needs decarbonation :crazy:

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