StillSmart

Well grain arrived today and guess what ? It was ready ground. That's saved some graft !

Excellent service from the malt miller !

Just got an e mail back from Rob after I thanked him for his service
It said

We buy all malt in whole and crush to order, if you ever want it left whole just let us know. It sure is PEATY!!

Aye should have realised with a name like the 'Malt Miller' that would be the case

Silly old fart I am

Good to know AT, I've read that ground grain will lose some flavour after a few weeks, a bit like the difference from freshly ground spices and an old jar from the back of the cupboard.

If I wasn't going to use the whole sack quickly, I'd be tempted to go for the whole grain even though it would be more work.

Are you planning a load of mashing to batter through it? (just interested)

My thoughts exactly mate it does feel more fragile ready ground like you could lose the smoke

Here's comes the hols so probably 2 or 3 mashings. after all once stripped it's sorted yes ?

Capt-Cudellez wrote:Good to know AT, I've read that ground grain will lose some flavour after a few weeks, a bit like the difference from freshly ground spices and an old jar from the back of the cupboard.

If I wasn't going to use the whole sack quickly, I'd be tempted to go for the whole grain even though it would be more work.

Are you planning a load of mashing to batter through it? (just interested)

It really is not a problem keeping crushed malt I buy various sacks of different pale malts ie maris otter,halcyon,pipkin for brewing my Ales and some of the sacks may take 3 months or so to use up depending on the style of Ales that im brewing and the grain is still in perfect condition.

Come on own up someone,whos ordered the last sack of peat smoked barley from the malt miller?

Hi there
Must admit I got one 3 weeks ago.
regards
Runningman

After waiting ages I'm picking up my 25kg from my local HBS on monday

Kitchens gonna be messy next weekend

@AT (assuming your 25kg is 'whole' grain)
mate are you going to crack it finely or what?
I have been told finely cracked grain (not dust, but quite small) will work best....and I wonder what you have found.

Hi Frank

It's whole malted barley I'm getting (I hope !)

The last batch from the malt miller was ground and IMHO rather too finely.by the time I'd mashed and sparged it it carried an awful lot of flour into the fermenter leaving 2 to 3 inches of sediment so was quite wasteful and messy

I have a hand grinder that works well and I have hopefully coverted it to run off my de walt cordless

Yes I know it might get messy !

BTW had a sample of the 10 litre peated now 4 months in barrel and it's double lush

Another couple of months should be just right

Did latest low wines run yesterday and today I'm doing latest spirit run with this last stripped run plus fore shots and feints
Even before warming up it smells grand
I've been taking samples of the 4 month old out and about and have had nowt but praise I'm really chuffed I ordered some Ardberg etc plus a bottle of 'spirit of Lewis' from the new Hebridean distillery. Whilst I hope their venture goes well IMHO my stuff knocked spots of theirs !
Amazing what you can do in your kitchen

Admiral Toad wrote:Did latest low wines run yesterday and today I'm doing latest spirit run with this last stripped run plus fore shots and feints... :o

"plus fore shots and feints.." You didn't mean it, I know, you're forgiven

AM

Oh I did. 5 litres of heads and tails just like a real distillery

I've produced nearly 7 litres of hearts at 68% which watered down with filtered water has given me 10 plus litres at 45%

That's gone into the new 10 litre oak barrel pre soaked with wine and sherry plus 75g of JD chips

Topped the other ones up with what was left

Got a good half litre of foreshots plus around 5 litres of feints averaging 30 %

Well chuffed

Mate
(I presume you part-conditioned your barrel with a reasonable, dry sherry that was then poured out, so.....) what kind of wine have you used for this barrel conditioning and how much, how long etc?
I ask as I know sherry and (occasionally) port are often favoured for Scotch, but 'wine' is a bit of a to me.
Good to know its a winner too BTW.