StillSmart

My local (ish) home brew shop sells peated malt in 500g bags for £1.39.

http://www.leylandhomebrew.com/item3015.htm

I would like to do a whisky, I've not purpously tried to make one yet but have mixed up some cuts wrong in the past and ended up with home made Kellar White while aiming for neutral!!

I want to do it justice but as a first attempt would like to know if I should use only peated malt or if there's an ideal ratio of peated malt to golden promise that will still give the flavor of the peated malt but also keep the cost down compaired to using it exclusively.

I'm planing on double distilling in pot mode, then aging with bourbon chunks or possibly getting one of them charred oak kegs off ebay.

I'm in Aberdeen tonight so it's got me thinking about making some
All suggestions welcome

The flavour of the peated whisky I would say requires peated malt.
Whisky does not have to be peaty.
A mix of malt will produce (hopefully) a lightly peated spirit.
Just some numbers to try and help;
From a 25Kg sack of heavily peated malt,I ended with
5.5L at 62%,which is aging nicely,and
5L of low wines,(heads and tails)towards the next run.
HTH
Robert.

I though all whisky traditionally used peated malt, my mistake, I'll just go with a 25kg sac and see how I get on, my main mash tun is a 38lt thermopot, I have a 50lt one but it's an unfinished project.

I could probably do a 25kg sac of Marris Otter or Golden Promise in 3 mashes at a push.

fyi my plan is to use malt:smoked malt at a 5:1 ratio, no reason other than it seems like enough to provide flavor without overpowering other aspects???? but im a novice ..

Novice?
Mate,as are we all,we don't do this for a living!
I need to except RumJohn here,the only site member that I know does.
Underneath your avatar it says:
Anavrin
Senior Distiller
Nice to hear that you don't consider yourself to be so,as automatically awarded by the site according to the number of posts made.
Your washes,and strips and final spirit run will give you SOMETHING.
The aging on or in wood,will make it something else,hopefully the something you are looking for.
The ratio of malts might be something that you change,according to taste,experience,whatever.
I don't think the definitive answer is to be found on this,(or any other)site,just a few pointers and tips from people that have tried.

This is indeed a great hobby.

Robert.

Oh dear.
It look's like one of my PbO moments happened.
Apologies Fil and Anavrin,it seems that I forgot who I was responding to there,confused you both in my own head,and it was only by looking through recent posts,that I spotted my mistake.
Please forgive me,the both of you.
The thread may have continued,without other posters scratching their heads and asking WTF?
Robert.

Fawcetts peated malt seems to be the most or only available btw that's not too cheap but then again I get full 25 kg bags
IMHO it's not that peatty I guess it's phenol ppm is around 20-25 so Bowmore territory
That's why I tried my secondary peating with the smoker that's just gone into the barrel and I'm quite optimistic of the outcome
I do wish there were a better source still got my fingers crossed for the Islay contacts I made this year but having heard nothing I suspect their promises have drifted off in a smokey alcoholic haze

Ah well just have to go back by car with some empty 25kg bags

BTW I read a book about Islay and it's whiskys called 'peat smoke and spirit' very entertaining but also lots of statistics about each distillery and it's peat source distilling cuts etc. slightly out of date but worth a look

This might be of interest to you A.T.

http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.ph ... 39&added=1

They claim a Pheonal of 36.

That is the one that I used last time,from that supplier.
It smells good from start to finish.

Robert.

“It smells good from start to finish”

Glad to hear that.....I've just ordered a quantity of it.

As I understand, from what reading I've done, the commercial distillers tend to produce a wash in the region of 7 – 10% abv.

Using an all grain recipe, I would like to achieve approximately 8% abv.. How much grain would be required to attempt to produce 23 litres at this strength? I know mash efficiency plays its part here, but the amount of grain used must be critical?

My intention is to produce a series of washes, starting from 100% heavily peated malt, and reducing this element in subsequent washes, by adding unpeated malt. I anticipate doing this by a third and then a half. I'm hoping that, even un-aged, smell and taste will indicate when to stop adjusting.

I would think about 8-9kg of grain, If you search for some brewing software you should be able to create a recipe and it will calculate the projected ABV of the wash.

Grahams Beer Engine is a good start.

I think that trying to mash 8-9 kg of malt is stretching my mashing equipment to possibly beyond its capacity.

I am using a Peko Electrim mashing bin with a bag to hold the grain.

The bag seems to be a limiting factor, as it has to be held clear of the heating element at the bottom. I think that putting more than 6kg in the bag would make this difficult, whilst also compacting the grain, preventing a good circulation of water through it.

The grain is in 25kg Sacks.


My first two mashes will be using 100% of this grain.

Hello.

First of all, sorry for my bad english

I'm making whisky now.
I use 2kg hevy peted malt and 6kg pale ale per 20 liter mash.
I have made 200liter mash now and destilled it to 60 liter Low Wine.
Now I'm going to destill it to 62% and putt it on a barrel.
I will make the cuts for a light/medium tasty whisky.

I will order the barrel from http://www.barrelsonline.com

I will use 62% pure alkohol to extract wood tasty and then put some Sherry in the barrel som monthe before i put the whisky in it.

Sheers from sweden