This channel is designed to offer insight and background on the science, art and practice of making alcohol based products at home. LINK FOR THE FERMENTABLE CHART: www.brewersfriend.com/fermentables/
For the people comenting on ingredients. This is not scotch. It's not in Scotland. That basically frees someone up to put whatever they want in there. They are making a appropriation of scotch not scotch itself. So if the person thinks adding rye to it will produce something that "tastes like scotch" let them have at it. Nothing wrong with that. Alternatively if you like to make your spirits "traditionaly" that's cool too. Your craft, your hobby, make it your way and drink it how you like. Also, it's super easy to get mixed up with definitions of whiskies that come from Scotland. "Single" (from single malt) has nothing to do with ingredients. It indicates that everything in that bottle is from one distillery. It can still come from any number of barrels and different grists mashes or distillations. "Malt" indicates the grist/mash is all malted barley. Remember peated malt is malted, non peated malt is malted. Golden promise, distillers malt, American ale, vienna, etc etc etc. All malted. Alternatively to single you have blend. This indicates multiple distilleries on one bottle. Alternatively to malt you have grain. This means it can have other grains in it. Single malt, blended malt, single grain, blended grain.
I don't know nuttin' about nuttin' but I think it's more technically correct (and perhaps pedantic) to say that this is not *legally 'scotch', due to the location. That is to say if you moved a Scottish distillery to the middle of Kansas, they could do everything exactly the same, and the whisky would be exactly the same, but people in Scotland would say that it's not technically scotch due to historical legal standards. I, for one, do not find geography to be the defining characteristic of distilled liquor or pretty much anything. I get no value from a liquor being officially classified as scotch. I don't care if my Champagne is made in France... I don't care if Parmesan cheese is made in Italy, etc. I care about what it tastes like and how much it costs. This seems like an outdated protectionist racket, and in my experience free and fair competition improves all products... not monopolies or protectionism.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Interestingly, those protectionist racket rules didn't really start up but about 10 or less years ago. I understand your point though.
The best description would be "Scotch style" whiskey. One of my favorite beers is "Dirty Bastard Ale." The label describes it as :Scotch style ale." It looks & tastes like Scotch ale, but they can't call it that, because it's brewed in the U.S.
Nice George, glad to see you getting into the nitty gritty on different types of spirits. I'm looking forward to the Irish poitin. Just to clarify a few of the scotch things. - Not all scotch is peated. - Normally peat is associated with the Isley region. - Speyside is generally not peated Like a few others said this is a step mash not a decoction. A dam good process non the less if you are using malt that is not so highly modified.
Love the video George. I live in Northern Ireland and used to make poteen. Its the original and best, it's where whiskey cane from and indeed moonshine. If you've time, the history of the Ulster Scotch people on the Appalachians is an eye opener.
Gorge, you are by far the best home distiller I know. Just by fallowing what you teach, I make great tasting spirits. Thank you so much for showing me just about everything I know about distilling.
Rye adds fantastic flavour to whiskey, I’ve found that the more rye flavour the better. Even SS Rye Whiskey flavouring really makes my whiskey smooth and tasty. Thank you for the translation of 6 gallons at 11:15, it REALLY helps when you give us metric in your number crunching.
Thanks Barley and Hops, I am an avid follower of Jesse and have seen you multiple times on his videos, I have just purchased my first bag of mild peat smoked barley and have entirely enjoyed your video!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy St. Patty's Day! A scotch recipe is like a "Happy Patty Day!" present to me! I've been wanting to make scotch since I started. As a Basque, it has "nothing" to do with my roots, but as a New Yorker, it's in my blood! Thank you!
George… I have always been a multi rest proponent… I've always shied away from a decoction mash because I felt as though the amount of liquid drawn off and reheated to raise the total mash temperature to the next resting temperature would cause that portion of the mash that was drawn off and reheated to be reheated to the point that it would kill the enzymatic activity... can't wait to see how you accomplish this interesting feat!!!
I never drank until I was 25. I hated beer and I hated wine. But when I found out what whiskey was I was in love. Why did nobody let me know before then?! And until then I haven't found anything I cherish more to sip slow and long than Lagavulin 16. And if I might get enough space in my garage again to distill, I might try to source some American peat and make my own peated whiskey. But nothing will ever compare to Speyside Scotch. Even Laphroaig 10 brings me joy. Even though the Japanese have their precision, technique, and awareness, their take on it will never compare to the "areadjonal haing".
Speyside is actually not usually peated at all.. since its in the highlands typically, most Speyside whisky is fruity, sweet, and nutty, featuring notes of apple, honey, vanilla, and spice. The quintessential being Macallan.
Had the same thought. I think George was thinking of Islay whisky. Of course you won't find these ingredients in an Islay whiskey as it's traditionally just malted barley. It can't be a single malt with rye or oats in it. Same with single malt Macallan (only malted barley).
George, love the two vessel system, great implementation! You could add a ball valve to the output of the pump to help balance inflows and outflows. I hate to sound like a troll but you did a very neat step mash but there wasn’t a decoction. Decocting entails boiling about 1/3 of the wort (grain heavy) to raise the temperature of the whole for your temperature steps. Very common in German brewing. Great series of videos!!
Yeah good point man. Your totally correct and I think it can be a good think to point out slips of the tongue so newer hobiests are not confused. Trust me, easy to say one thing and think another haha
If peat is not your thing you can use unpeated malt. My mash bill for single malt whisky is 100% malted barley only as is traditional in most highland and speyside scotch whisky.
I know George isn’t active currently but he puts out some great videos. If nothing else gives you something else to think about. Not many videos of using this method for distilling mash, more so for beer. Wondering if this method could be used with adding corn into mash. Wondering if I can add my corn and malted grain all in at the beginning and bring temp up in each step and as long as I hold long enough that the corn will gelatinize?
Love your teaching ...super glad you do it and respects, for teaching me so much George. Have you ever worked with Panela ? I am about to attempt a rum wash or wort Recipe calls for molasses Panela AND brown sugar.... wondering about level or amount of water to add for a finish ferment 15 gallon Seeing molasses and Panela syrup (made by adding 1 -1/4 cup of water per lb of Panela) are liquids. Thanks MS
Interesting vid as always. I haven't done this before but I'm very interested in doing it. I'm looking forward to seeing the results to see if you get the 85 gravity point. As you're using 8 gallons I think you will get less, surely you can't wash all the sugar out of the grains? You have me thinking George and I look forward to the follow up vids . I expect to be proven wrong but we will see. No cheating 😉
Speysides are actually Light and fruity with not much, if any peat, I believe you're thinking of Islay whiskeys , George . 🙂 ps . thx for the phone call last week
Late to the party here on a year old thread, but could you use something like a Grainfather to do this mash? It's not really set up for true decoction mashes but is set up for continuous recirculation/sparging. What different outcome could I expect from doing this?
Help. Did first ever batch and was a success. Ironed out all the errors and the ferment has halted, aargh! Went like a rocket for first 2 days and now stopped. Specific gravity had started with George's magic 1.090 and used a whisky yeast without nutrients - 100% freshly milled malted barley. The mash had cooled to 32 so maybe too high (instructions said room between 20-30) and have kept room around 25. The specific gravity hasn't changed and an alcohol meter measured 0 ? The first batch I did worked a treat and fermented steadily for 8 days with the same barley and same yeast. Only difference was that had been left running more like 20deg C and had actually not mashed it as tight temperature wise. Any help much appreciated. PH had been around 6 before fermentation.
Barley for Scotch doesn’t have to be peated. Plenty of Scotches are made without peat dried barley. Also, Scotch only has 3 ingredients: barley, yeast, water. This recipe will probably make a nice whiskey, but it won’t taste like a Scotch whisky.
Hey George. I've been binge watching your exelent videos for a few weeks now. You have inspired me to try my hand. Going to need some equipment. Was going to get a Chinese pot but looks like that's out now.Do you know of a good place to source this stuff. Looking into 5 gal. I'm thinking maybe a Brandy from bottled wine to start.
Mile High Stills in Colorado makes good stuff or check ebay I've bought stuff from a guy in Russia at a great price and he added a big discount and it only took ten day to get to me in Florida
George was wanting to ask what your thoughts were on me buying a digiboil brand electric . its around $169.00, to make my mash and wash in and to also build out the top end to distill to finish it. would love to get off the propane and onto electric and this was the cheapest unit i could find ? i hope u under stand what im trying to say here . love all your videos
George. Thanks for all the great info! I’m just getting started and have learned a ton already from your videos. How can I get the app’s that you put out? Can’t find them in the App Store and the links don’t seem to work. Thanks again!
Hey George! Where do you factor efficiency losses into the bill calculations? if you are targeting 90 GP and expect 90% efficiency, would you set your bill up for 90/0.9 = 100 (1.100)?
Normal %expectations on charts are based on 85% efficiency. So if I can work out 1.090 mathematically then at 85% efficiency I should achieve 1.090. Everything after that is gravy. At 100% efficiency my gravity could have been 1.158. 100% is a tall order so at 85 or higher is a good thing. George
I don’t think all Scotch Whiskies are “peated” now-a-days. Some distillers use other fuel sources, such as coal. So if you don’t like peated malt barley, don’t use it. I want to make a light peated whisky just to give it a go.
I know you mean well and you are just having fun, but when you put something on the internet I think you should make sure that everything is as accurate as possible. That said, thank you for your content! I enjoy it
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing You said that you were doing a decoction when I believe you did a step mash...Wouldn't a decoction mean that you boiled/caramelised part of the mash? You really don't need the 2 row to achieve full conversion... Rye has 105 lintner and, as an example, baird peated malt has minimum 65 °L. I'd also disclose that rye and oat are usually not used if you plan to do a typical scotch with typical scotch taste. Now that I answer you back, I realise that it was kinda picky to point that out
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Gravity points is, by universal usage, the third decimal figure. 90 gravity points is 1,090. 92 gravity points is 1,092. If you add two gravity points to a concotion with a density of 90 gravity points, you have a density of 1,092. And in fact you always say that you aim at having 90 gravity points. You don't say that you aim at having 9 gravity points.
@@uffa00001 You are absolutely correct. I really screwed that up bad. Seriously, thanks for the help with this and I will do a correction on the next video to highlight my never ending lose tongue. LOL
The videos are a great intro to home brewing of spirits, but your not going to get anywhere near making a good imitation of scotch whisky without spending a small fortune on proper copper. You also need to spend a good amount of money on good quality yeast... before you even think about flavour profile etc I think there is one rye scotch whisky (*excluding finishing purposes) When it comes to scotch, your best just buying it unless you have a few million dollars sitting about to make any good imitation. If you come to Scotland, you need to go a few tours and tastings as so much variety in flavour profiles.
@@BarleyandHopsBrewing I love the videos, I just think that its worth paying the price for the this one. Hope you keep posting. Some sacrificial copper might be a nice addition to get a better output.
This is NOT a Scotch Whisky. You will not find a bottle at your liquor store with these ingredients. The two main classes of whisky in Scotland are Single Malt (made from all malted barley) and Single Grain (made from one grain using malts and raw). By tradition this is barley as well but doesn't have to legally be. Then you have Blended Malts (product from two or more distilleries mixing their single malts) and Blended Grain (mix of different distilleries single grains. Theoretically a distillery could make an all oat single grain whiskey (malts and unmalted oat) and another distillery could make a single grain rye whiskey (raw and malted rye). Then these could be blended together with a single malt (using the peated and unpeated 2 row). But this hasn't been done so this isn't a Scotch Recipe. Now on the other hand it could be an Peated Irish Whiskey and would fit that definition much easier.
@@carloayars2175 The one I make. If you can do better, get a camera and make your own videos. Once you see how much effort goes into making (free) videos for the community you may not troll videos and counter comment as you do. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Trolling is not received as well. Feel free to reply. I will not delete your thoughts. George
1)@@BarleyandHopsBrewing Sorry if you take comments and/or criticism as trolling. But this is not a Scotch Whisky period and isn't going to come out like one. Scotch whisky by law can not use oats or rye unless they are single grain whiskys. Then if it were done (it isn't) it would have to be blended after distilling separately. 2) You have a misunderstanding or at least a miscommunication of which enzymes do what in the first video as what was said is not correct. 3) Your efficiency is roughly 75% not 85% Your points were 90, you ended up with 90 but started with 8 gallons and only ended with 6 measured gallons. 25% of 8 gallons is 2 gallons which is what you lost. (MeasuredPoints * MeasuredVolume) / (PotentialPoints * TargetVolume). Essentially the grains sucked up 2 gallons worth of sugars that weren't flushed out with fresh water. This is typical and pretty normal. learn.kegerator.com/brewhouse-efficiency/ for more info You should check the homestiller forum as there is a growing population of experienced distillers who are warning users not to follow your videos due to misinformation. I'm not one of them btw. I'd rather make comments directly with the videos where you get a chance to see them and comment. You have a lot of good videos but have a few bad ones as well teaching bad practices and use of unsafe materials.
