How To Make Whiskey: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Whiskey

Author:Bryan Davis [Davis, Bryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-12-18T08:00:00+00:00

MAKING MASH

If your recipe calls for a “mash,” then this is your next step. Should your recipe say to make a “wort,” you will skip these instructions and proceed to the next sub-section.

NOTE: Before you begin, check to make sure you have an accurate thermometer. Temperatures in this phase must be controlled precisely.

NOTE: Even if you recipe calls for a wort, you may want to try it as a mash. You will get different results with each, and it can be an interesting experiment.

Now that you have your bags of milled grains, the next step is to convert the starch to maltose (yeast food). To do this, we need to activate the amylase enzymes in the malted barley by heating the grains in water to 152 degrees.

Begin by measuring out the grains for your recipe. Meanwhile, bring 1 gallon of water (or more if you are making a bigger batch) to 160 degrees in your 2 to 3- gallon cooking pot.

Once the water is heated to 160 degrees, turn off the burner and stir in your milled grain. You will notice that adding the grain lowers the temperature of the mash to about 152 degrees, which is exactly where we want it. If the temperature is less than 152 degrees, gently heat it to 152, while stirring continuously. Let the grain soak for an hour in the warm water to hydrate the starches. If you recipe calls for adding amylase enzyme go ahead and add it after the hydration period. Next, begin sugar conversion by carefully controlling the temperature to stay between 150 degrees and 155 degrees for the next 30 - 45 minutes.

NOTE: Even if your recipe does not call for added amylase, it is often a good idea to add it as an “insurance policy”. The substance is harmless, and, anyway, it is extracted from barley.

Maintain the temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. It's not a problem if the temperature goes up to 155 degrees, or down to 145. Just remember to stir the pot any time that you have turned on the burner. Scorched mash is not usable.

After 30 to 45 minutes, the mash will begin to taste like sweet tea. That sweetness is the maltose sugar that you have just made from the starch.

NOTE: You cannot tell when the sugar conversion is complete by tasting it. Once the sugar reaches a certain concentration, it will taste the same, even if you double the sugar concentration. Only your sugar hydrometer can tell you what concentration is present.

After 45 minutes, the mashing is complete. You will now need to cool it rapidly. If you let it cool on its own, it will take all night and there is a good chance you will end up with a bacteria or wild yeast contamination.

To cool the wort, set the cooking pot in a sink full of cold water, and simply let it sit for an hour or two, checking the temperature and stirring every 30 minutes. Once the temperature is below 92 degrees, proceed to the next chapter, "Fermenting.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.