There are many varieties of whiskey in the world, but the basic procedures for doing so are similar. To make your own whiskey you only need a few tools and ingredients. The process is divided into a series of steps that must be carried out over a few weeks. This recipe will tell you how to make a cereal infusion, turn it into a bath and distill it, then age the product and create an authentic whiskey.
Ingrediants
- 4.5 kg of untreated whole grain
- 18.9 liters of water, plus more hot water for germination
- Approximately one cup (240g) of champagne yeast (refer to manufacturer's instructions for specific proportions)
- A large sack of jute
- A pillow case
Finished product: about 7.5 liters of whiskey
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Grain Germination and Infusion
The germination phase consists simply of wetting the cereal, letting it germinate. Once germinated, it is ready to be infused (the infusion is the combination of hot water and cereals). The enzymes in the infusion break down the starches in the cereal and produce the sugar.
Step 1. Germinate the grains by soaking them in hot water
Put 4.5kg of untreated whole grains in a jute sack and put the sack in a large bucket. Then fill it with hot water. Make sure the grains are completely soaked.
Why germinate cereals? In short, sprouting allows you to not add sugar to the infusion, creating a more authentic whiskey. Also called "malting", germination allows the enzymes contained in the grains to convert starches into sugars. These sugars will later become the fuel for making alcohol
Step 2. Let the grains germinate for 8-10 days
Keep the bag in a warm, dark environment, such as a well-insulated garage or basement. Make sure the grains stay moist for about a week and a half. During the germination phase, keep the temperature of the cereals between 17 and 30 ° C.
Step 3. Detach the sprouts from the grains
When the sprouts are 6 mm long, you can rinse the cereals in a bucket of clean water. While rinsing, remove as many sprouts as possible by hand and discard them. Keep the cereal.
Step 4. Break the beans
Using a rolling pin, pestle or any other tool, break the kernels for the first fermentation.
- If you want, you can use a grinder to break the beans, but you will need to let them dry well. Non-dry beans will not pass smoothly into the grinder.
- To dry the grains, spread them in a thin layer on a clean, flat surface. Place a fan near the cereal. Let them dry by mixing them a couple of times a day.
Step 5. Add 18.9 liters of boiling water to the cereal
You are ready for fermentation.
Part 2 of 4: The Fermentation
During this phase it is particularly important to keep all work tools clean. A little contamination can ruin the entire whiskey batch. Sterilize thermometers, container lids, siphons you may use and wash your hands before operating.
Step 1. Let the infusion cool down to 30 degrees
Use a thermometer to test the temperature. The infusion needs to cool down while maintaining a sufficient temperature for the yeast to do its job.
Step 2. Add the yeast
Close the lid of the fermenter. Move the fermenter back and forth for four to five minutes to stir the yeast.
Step 3. Close the fermenter with a siphon
A siphon - or airlock valve - is essential for fermentation: it allows carbon dioxide to escape, without letting in oxygen, which would nullify the effect of the yeast.
You can easily build a siphon yourself, but they are sold at cheap prices. You can find one for less than 2 euros
Step 4. Let the infusion ferment in a relatively warm environment
The fermentation process takes 5-10 days, depending on the yeast, the temperature, and how much grain you are using. Use a hydrometer to know when the first fermentation is done. If the hydrometer reading is the same for two or three consecutive days, you are ready to start distilling.
Try to keep the infusion at a stable 25 ° C while it ferments. Yeast needs heat to activate and consume sugars
Step 5. When the infusion has finished fermentation, pour or decant everything into an alembic
If you have chosen to pour, use a clean pillowcase. Try to avoid that the beans end up in the still.
Part 3 of 4: The Distillation
The private infusion of the solid parts is called "bath" or "cooked". At this point, the liquid has about 15% alcohol by volume, a value that will increase considerably with distillation. For best results, get a pot still. If you have good dexterity and have time, you can also build your own still.
Step 1. Heat the fermented liquid in the still slowly, until it just comes to a boil
With whiskey you don't have to speed up the distillation. Bring the alembic to a boil over medium heat in anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour (heating it too quickly will burn the liquid and cause it to lose its taste). The temperature range in which you will distill the alcohol ranges from 78 to 100 ° C.
Why this temperature? Alcohol and water have different boiling points: alcohol begins to evaporate at 78 ° C, while water at 100 ° C. So, if you heat the still to a temperature between 78 and 100 degrees, the liquid evaporated in the still will be alcohol and not water
Step 2. Open the cooling circuit when the liquid reaches 50-60 ° C
The cooling circuit receives the alcohol vapors and cools them rapidly, returning them to the liquid form. Slowly, liquid should begin to flow out of the tube.
Step 3. Discard the first liquid
The first liquid that is distilled is a set of volatile compounds that should not be consumed. Contains methanol, which is lethal in large quantities. Fortunately, this compound comes first from the still. For an 18.9-liter bath you'll need to throw away the first 50-100ml of distillate, just to be safe.
Step 4. Collect the distillate in half liter batches
After unwrapping the first distillate, you are ready to collect the good part. When the thermometer on the cooling circuit reads 80-85 ° C, you will begin to collect the real whiskey, also called the "body" of the distillate.
Step 5. Discard the last part of the distillate
Continue to collect the distillate until the thermometer on the cooling circuit begins to read 96 ° C. At this point, the evaporated liquids must be discarded.
Step 6. Turn off the heat source and let the still cool completely
Let the distillate cool too.
Part 4 of 4: Diluting and Aging the Whiskey
At this point you will have a pure whiskey with a high alcohol content. To make it similar to what is usually found in stores, you will have to age it and dilute it until it reaches 40-50 degrees alcohol.
Step 1. Use a hydrometer to test the ABV (alcohol by volume) of your whiskey
You need to know how strong it is, both for aging and to get an indication of how the distillation went.
Make sure you don't confuse the readings on the hydrometer. The degrees in which the reading is expressed are double the alcoholic volume
Step 2. Age the whiskey
If you decide to age, you will need to put the whiskey in a barrel around 58-70% alcohol. Aging will make the whiskey more delicate and give it its characteristic taste. Whiskey only ages in barrels: when it is bottled it stops aging.
- Whiskey is generally aged in oak barrels. Barrels can be "charred" or "toasted" carefully before aging, or they can be sourced from another distiller who has aged in another liqueur, for added flavor.
- If you want to add an oak flavor to your whiskey but don't want to take a barrel, you can add some toasted oak bits. Toast the pieces at a low temperature (90 ° C) in the oven for an hour, until they are fragrant, but not charred. Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Put them in the whiskey container for 5-15 days or more, depending on your taste. Strain the whiskey through a cloth or pillowcase to collect all the bits of wood.
Step 3. Dilute the whiskey
After aging you will need to dilute the whiskey before bottling and drinking it. At this point it will still have around 60-80 percent alcohol, so it will be undrinkable. You will need to dilute it up to 40-45 degrees to get a much more pleasant taste.
Step 4. Bottle and enjoy
Bottle your whiskey, with a label with the bottling date. Always drink responsibly.
