Overnight whiskey

[Mash]

Now here's a thought...
There has been a few people looking at all grain mashing, for the production of whiskey.
There are also a few of us on here who make beer. I think we all appreciate that grain mashing takes some time so why not let it happen while you are asleep.
If you have a grain father / bulldog / brewmaster / Klarstien - what about the mash overnight? That way you wake up to a mash ready to go?

The evening before, set the machine up and program it to start the mash at say 05:00 in the morning.

Steps as follows:
1. Fill with cool water & grain
2. First few program(s) you set to 20°C to 'hold'
3. At say 05:00* the program sets 66°C and the mash starts.
4. After you have stumbled out of bed & had a coffee, your mash is then ready for the next step.

If you want beer > boil.
If you want mash > chill & pitch [I personally think you need a 15 minute boil, but that's another topic!!]

This would also work on a kettle that doesn't have programming steps easier still. Just set 66 on the kettle and use a simple immersion timer.

If you are thinking about buying a kettle - this might be a deciding factor?

* The start time you need will depend a your equipment & volumes. The equation is 'finish time' minus 'mash duration' minus 'time to get to temp'. A good rule of thumb is 1°C =1 minute at about 3000W with about 25l - You will find your own timings.

[phantom]

ha ha! even I could do that.........

All I need now, is a grain father/bulldog/brew master etc etc........

[gaza the instructor]

Well the grain is cheap Phantom!!

[phantom]

That as maybe, it's the bloody hardware that needs the lottery win.........

[Mash]

Will be interested to hear Ed's comments on if he thinks the Klarstein will do it. They are terrific value.

[Easydrinker]

Will be interested to hear Ed's comments on if he thinks the Klarstein will do it. They are terrific value.

The Klarstein does do it, just finished my second sack of Distiller's grain using it.

This is what I do, evolved from my days of just owning a boiler.
But it is not a breakfast whisky, it does involve (intermittent) time.
Forget beermakers brewhouse efficiencies, with whisky, you want to suck every last bit of sugar from that Barley.

20 Lits water @ 55°C.
Add 6.25Kg Distillers Malt, leave 30 minutes. Recirculating.
Turn it up to 60 °C leave 30 minutes recirculating
Turn it up to 64.5 °C leave 60 minutes recirculating
Drain 12.5 to 13 litres of wort @ around 1.074
Add to Klarstein 10 litres,Cold water,doesn't matter, heat to 80°C, leave for 60 minutes. Recirculating.
Drain around 10 litres @ around 1.050.
Pour in 6.8 litres, (4x my kettle) of Boiling water.
Leave recirculating for 30 minutes.
Drain and ferment.
Feel free to "increase" the take with added sugar, but get yourself some flavoursome feints first for the distilling, or you may as well not bother.
Do a search for Roberts Malt whisky for the whole way I do it.

I don't bother checking Ph with whisky washes.

The last 25Kg sack of grain, after cuts and the use of my previous feints, provided just over 15 litres @ 63%.
That is 957 units of alcohol.
Where I live, with Minimum Alcohol Pricing at 50p a unit, and the sack of grain delivered for £33.73, maybe you can see why I do it.

Oh, and after a little aging, rapid or slow, my shit tastes really good.

[Mash]

That's a fine step mash. A 55 dough in will save a lot of cleaning.

It's a shame it doesn't do overnight mashing.

[Easydrinker]

You just cannot automate everything mate, without efficiency losses.
I guess you could experiment with time gained v's product lost equations.

Robert.

[Mash]

I don't understand why a program raising the temp instead of the a hand flicking a switch affects efficiency?

IME there is none. If anything using this method in ale has a greater malty finish (which is adjustable by temp) The time gains are 40%. Reducing a brew session from 5 hours to 3. Winner in my book.

AG brewing is a time sucker - this reduces it significantly. For whiskey making this could be quicker still, because there is no boil. Setup overnight, chill and pitch in the morning. Just drawing on my observations from my learning with ale.

C'mon 9 programmable steps - you gotta try it

[Mash]

Ultimately, you could have longer mashing periods which have the potential to increase your efficiency.

[EchoSevenNine]

Oh, and after a little aging, rapid or slow, my shit tastes really good.

Bloody hell mate, you really do get your moneys worth dont you!

[Easydrinker]

I don't understand why a program raising the temp instead of the a hand flicking a switch affects efficiency?

IME there is none. If anything using this method in ale has a greater malty finish (which is adjustable by temp) The time gains are 40%. Reducing a brew session from 5 hours to 3. Winner in my book.

AG brewing is a time sucker - this reduces it significantly. For whiskey making this could be quicker still, because there is no boil. Setup overnight, chill and pitch in the morning. Just drawing on my observations from my learning with ale.

C'mon 9 programmable steps - you gotta try it

Can I ask how much Whisky you actually make?
Theorising is one thing, putting it into practise another.
Not dissing your years as an Ag beer brewer.

I try to replicate my favourite distilleries.
They have been doing it for MANY years.
If there were short cuts, they would be using them, simply for PROFIT.
That they continue with the same methods, for me, that says that is what I should chase.
Not one of your theories.
If they cannot extract the sugar in one go, I believe them.
I know that many of your posts are about saving time and effort, but wake up, savour the coffee, smell the air, live in a real world.
Accept that some things take a little time.

Robert.

[Easydrinker]

Oh, and after a little aging, rapid or slow, my shit tastes really good.

Bloody hell mate, you really do get your moneys worth dont you!

You are a BAD man.

Robert.

[Curmudgeon]

Oh, and after a little aging, rapid or slow, my shit tastes really good.

Bloody hell mate, you really do get your moneys worth dont you!

You are a BAD man.

Robert.

Shit happens. Good shit takes time and experience.

[Mash]

I guess you pressed pause on the "be nice button" tonight.

[Easydrinker]

I guess you pressed pause on the "be nice button" tonight.

Sorry Mash,
I overstepped the line.
Blame it on late night postings and too much loopy juice.

Robert.

[gaza the instructor]

ED we all like a drop mate, that is why we are hear.
I do worse all the time

[Easydrinker]

For sure you do bad,
The jury are stil out on the 'worst' part of your statement, |

Robert.

[myles]

I am a fan of the "take it slow" brigade, with a cooked mash.

Sacrificial malt method. (Highlights, not the full method)

Grain + part of the Malt - slowly increase temp to 35 then 45 deg C. Increase to 68 deg C and hold for an hour.

Then cook, and boil for an hour.

Add cold backset, when at 68 deg C add further malt. Hold at 68 deg C for 30 mins, Add remainder of grain and malt / top up to final volume, and hold at 62 deg C for an hour.

Transfer to fermenter, top up to fermenter volume. SIT BACK AND WAIT!!!

[Mash]

I too am a fan of the take it slow steps - mash kettles now will do it for you and you can wake up ready to boil.

Which leads nicely onto..... @Myles do you boil your whiskey mash for an hour then? Or were referring to Ale?

[myles]

@ Mash, Yes I do a cooked mash with a gas heated mash tun, because i use rye in the grain bill. You do not need to cook if you do a 100% barley malt. A modified 100 litre keg with a drill agitator. Actually if you use enzymes you don't even need to cook corn or rye - but, I don't do it that way.

It is in storage at the moment as we are in chaos with new carpets, furniture and decorating.

[Mash]

I think even a Barley mash benefits from a 20 minute boil because you get the protein break. Which saves it happening in your still and making a good proper mess.

[Easydrinker]

As I discovered recently, filling the strip still boiler to a lower level, and fitting a window into the column, more or less the way it is done in Islay distilleries, (who I try and copy), does make it easy to avoid a boil over.
It also gives you a buzz as you see the foam rise up and turn down the power to combat it!
I guess you do need a column with some height to do this.

Robert.

[Mash]

It will do it in the Mash kettle if you're not careful.
I have a custom-built lid on my BM which prevents boil overs - Inspired by my granny.