StillSmart

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-19T23:38:41+00:00

That sounds like a good result.
I hope the aging gives you a good result also.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Wed Nov 19, 2014 11:38 pm

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-19T19:42:26+00:00

The two washes, after strip runs and a combined spirit run, yielded Hearts totalling 6 litres @ 75% abv. This amount of Hearts, diluted to 40% abv, after ageing, should amount to about fifteen 75cl bottles of whisky. For the ageing process I am trying a product from StillDragon, American Oak No 1 Mini Staves.

Heads accounted for 1.2 litres, whilst Tails accounted for another 3.5 litres, giving a total of 4.7 litres @ 58% abv as Feints for another run.

T

Statistics: Posted by Toper — Wed Nov 19, 2014 7:42 pm

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-17T08:39:24+00:00

Can I suggest investing in a grain mill and buying real malt to mill yourself, as required. I tried the LME road a long time ago and found it very unsatfactory in terms of flavour in the end product. I think it's only suited to making beer for drinking plus it's soooo expensive

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:39 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-17T08:22:35+00:00

Aidanmac, I am very much in agreement with you as to cost. Although I have used what I had to hand, and previously intended to use by other methods, in this case I have roughly followed the 'Cloning Glenmorangie' recipe. I did query as to the projected returns from this method , in a previous posting, but nobody took the point up.

My future attempts will be with Muntons Cedarex Light which, at £64.00 for 25kg (£2.56 per kg) was both the best and cheapest that I found available. A major difficulty with Liquid Malt Extract seems to be that there is no legislative control over how much water might be added before it ceases to be Malt Extract and becomes more a Malt Flavoured Liquid..

The bubble rate, this morning, was less than 1 per minute.
The specific gravity reading remained unaltered.
I will leave to settle out for two days and then rack off and de-gas before putting the washes through a strip run.

Statistics: Posted by Toper — Mon Nov 17, 2014 8:22 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-16T17:59:56+00:00

Them are quite expensive washes and better produce a damn fine spirit to justify that level of cost.

I currently pay 23 Euro for 25Kg of whole distillers malted barley and even adding sugar and yeast a wash costs me no more than 11Euros and I'm always trying to find ways to cut that too

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:59 pm

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-16T17:24:39+00:00

Airlock first burp @ 12.00 noon on 13/11/14.

Bubble rate at airlock about 1 per 40 seconds @ 14.00pm on 16th November, specific gravity reading 1.010.

Will check S.G. Again tomorrow.

T

Statistics: Posted by Toper — Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:24 pm

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-13T08:57:05+00:00

Whilst still attempting to identify and obtain the ingredients for what I like to think of as my first PROPER BREW & RUN , I decided to use up some ingredients I already had to hand.

I have made up two 23 litre washes, each as follows:

3 x 1.5 Kg Brewferm Light Malt Extract @ £4.33 each = £ 12.99
2 kg Brewferm Light Peated Whisky Malt @ £2.83 ea = £5.66
1 kg Dry Light Malt Extract @ £5.60 = £5.60
1 Alcotec Single Strain Whisky Yeast. = £2.90
_____
£ 27.15
x 2 = £ 54.30

Mashed 2kg of peated grain. (Using cool box.)
Placed 4.5 Kg malt extract in fermenter
Added the mash liquor and stirred thoroughly until all dissolved.
Used 4 litres of hot water to rinse grain and then to dissolve the 1 kg dried malt extract.
Then add to fermenter and stirred again to ensure all dissolved.
Left overnight to settle to room temperature.

Specific gravity reading was 1.075

Added Alcotec Single Strain Whisky Yeast to each.

Statistics: Posted by Toper — Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:57 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-11T15:48:04+00:00

You only get high alcohol if you put lots of sugar in the wash, which I do not think is your I intention. So a standard Yeast is more than enough.

The nutrients that included in the packet of turbo yeast may get the yeasties working too hard and introduce flavours you do not want.

If I were you and was putting a lot of effort into this wash then I would stick to yeast of the Non Turbo variety.

Statistics: Posted by YHB — Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:48 pm

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-11T15:26:10+00:00

I am trying to finalise the ingredients for my next washes.

On searching for a smoked/peated malt, I cam across the following:
RAUCHMALZ Bavarian Smoked Malt
WEYERMANN Rauch Malt
FAWCETTS Peated Malt Crushed
BRUPAK Whisky Malt (peat smoked -heavy)
BREWFERM Whisky Malt Peated Light
As I understand it, the first two are intended for use in making ales and beers.

I want to make up 23 litres washes, using LME, but adding a peated malt for flavour. Has anybody used any of the above or, can recommend any other?

Also, I came across this high alcohol distiller's yeast:

Has anybody used this, and with what results?

T.

Statistics: Posted by Toper — Tue Nov 11, 2014 3:26 pm

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-09T11:02:27+00:00

Hi Toper

I was assuming you were using an electric heating element, if gas then no prob, you can use any amount you like so long as it's not too full to cause problems with puking.

Statistics: Posted by Anavrin — Sun Nov 09, 2014 11:02 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-09T10:30:37+00:00

Such a rapid response was most helpful.

My doubts regarding viscosity were largely based on my experiences with malt extract beer kits, such as Woodfords, which, using 3kg of LME in 23litres, never gets down, or close to a 1000 reading on a hydrometer. I dreaded to think what sort of reading one might get with some 8kg added to the same 23 litres.

It was for this reason of possible viscosity, that I had doubts as to how much my still might be able to handle.

I feel unsure as to the comment, '...never allow the wash level to get close to or below the height of the heating element as it boils off,...'. The boiler of my system sits on a butane gas burner, so maybe this advice was intended for those with a different form of heating system?

I do, in fact, have the sort of insulated cool box mentioned and had considered its possible use. Is this 'mashing' process the best method to extract the peated flavour from the grain, the greater proportion of fermentable sugars coming from the LME.

Having made up a wash, I have to date left it to cool in a fermenting bin, with lid and airlock in place. So far, fingers crossed, all has been well. I have usually left them overnight and thrown the yeast the next day.

Thank you everybody for your prompt, helpful and polite replies.

I am especially anxious to get things straight in my mind as my intention is, based on the quantities I have bought in, to run four 23 litres washes at the same time. The Muntons' jerry cans each hold 25 kg.
I thought to empty one completely rather keep it opened and part used.

T

Statistics: Posted by Toper — Sun Nov 09, 2014 10:30 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-09T09:55:50+00:00

Morning,

1) Dunno..I'd guess it will be fine

2) Keeping the peated grain around 70C for 1/2 an hour is mashing. You are converting starch to sugars. So nope..simmering is totally different.

3) Rapid cooling is more likely to be measure to counteract any possible infection.
If the recipe was AG rapid cooling is used for protein breaks, but I don'think they really apply here.

4) Dunno again. I'm a newbie

Statistics: Posted by Boozoid — Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:55 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-09T09:43:07+00:00

If I was you I would build a cheap mash tun with a cheap supermarket cool box, I bought a 24litre one for £7 from ASDA a few years ago, I made a frame of 15mm copper pipe to fit in the bottom, cut lots of slots in it to allow the liquid through but not the grain and connected it to a plastic king keg tap I fitted in the side, you could do it for around £25 which is about the cost of 3kg of LME.

So it'll soon pay for its self if you buy crushed malted barly and mashing yourself, just use 2 1/2 - 3 times the amount of water to the amount of grain you intend to use, fill the mash tun first with hot water, say 72 degrees, then stir in your grain put the lid on and leave it for 90mins, in this time all the starch in the malted barley will convert to sugar with the help of the natural ensymes already present in the grain, there are methods of calculating the exact strike temperature and volume of your initial mash water, a good on is the strike temp calculator on the Jims Beer Kit website http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/calc.html

As for rapid cooling, that's just to avoid infection problems, it takes a long time for 25 litres of hot water to cool down before you can add the yeast

Statistics: Posted by Anavrin — Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:43 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-09T09:10:04+00:00

Hi Toper

There's no problem using 23litres in a 35litre boiler so long as you never allow the wash level to get close to or below the height of the heating element as it boils off, as a rule of thumb, calculate how much alcohol you have in your wash, then double it if pot stilling plus a few litres more, always ensure you know how much distillate you intend to collect when filling your boiler, so that if you have a raised heating element it has enough liquid above it to still be covered when finished.

Statistics: Posted by Anavrin — Sun Nov 09, 2014 9:10 am

Re: USING MALT EXTRACT.

2014-11-09T01:09:33+00:00

I'll chip in,and take some flack on your behalf.
Point one,yes I believe so.-My limited experience of LME washes,has not shown the finished product to be seemingly more viscous than any other wash.
The remaining points I will leave to our other AG brewers,that know that of which they speak.
Personally,I am eager to get the definitive reason for a worts chiller,as this is something that I have never understood properly,especially from a distillers point of view.
Robert

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sun Nov 09, 2014 1:09 am