Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

all about mashing and fermenting grains

Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby Kruger1801 » Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:06 am

Hi All!
I've been searching for some decent info regarding Scotch distilleries' teqniques for mashing - and the rest of the process as well.
All info is generally heavily guarded as I'm sure you already know.
I Just came across this mashing procedure in a Youtube vid, and would like to know what you guys make of it.

Image

I think its from either Strathisla or Auchentoshan distillery...

Link to video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNe4ZRFx9oY

I recon whats happening here is that they are mashing at 62°C for 2.5 Hours as step 1 by adding 20K Liters @ 65.5°C water to the grains, then addition of 7K liters water @ 76°C to raise mash temp to 67 or 68°C as step 2, then step 3 as mash out, and step 4 as sparge?

What are your thoughts?

Super keen to get as close as I can to the method the Scott's use in their distilleries.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers :teasing-tease:
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby Sparrow » Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:51 am

I think each distillery would be different, would help give their different character in some way I imagine.
If you're starting into AG I reckon keep it simple for starters, single step mash, mash out (if you want), sparge and boil. On my guten I've been pretty much mashing out while I'm sparging. I've read that mashing out might not be that necessary for fly sparging anyway.

I'm going to try a 50% pilsner, 40% heavily peated 10% caramalt soon I reckon. Probably mash at 66 for an hour or so, bring up to 72 while sparging then boil for an hour.

I don't expect to get anywhere near it but I'd love to get close to a Springbank. Then maybe do a mpre heavily peated one and put it on apera soaked dominoes for an ardbeg uigeadail style whisky.
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby Kruger1801 » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:02 am

Sparrow wrote:I think each distillery would be different, would help give their different character in some way I imagine.
If you're starting into AG I reckon keep it simple for starters, single step mash, mash out (if you want), sparge and boil. On my guten I've been pretty much mashing out while I'm sparging. I've read that mashing out might not be that necessary for fly sparging anyway.

I'm going to try a 50% pilsner, 40% heavily peated 10% caramalt soon I reckon. Probably mash at 66 for an hour or so, bring up to 72 while sparging then boil for an hour.

I don't expect to get anywhere near it but I'd love to get close to a Springbank. Then maybe do a mpre heavily peated one and put it on apera soaked dominoes for an ardbeg uigeadail style whisky.


Thanks Sparrow,
I'm quite confident in my AG brewing methods and setup. Stepping is something im looking forward to in the future though.
Planning a similar recipe for this weekend. Planning to do 70% pale malt & 30% peated distillers malt. Pilsner malt is way too expensive in Cape Town....

Let me know how your batch comes out!

Just had this response regarding the Scotch mashing on the HD forum:

der wo wrote:No. They don't add water. They lauter between all waters. In a 4 water system normally the last 2 waters are used for the next mash. Only the first two waters are for the current mash.

http://www.wormtub.com/distilleries.php
Very interesting data from: Pulteney, Talisker, Abelour, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Lagavulin and Laphroaig.


Super interesting link around some of those distilleries
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby bluc » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:53 pm

Like watching these video. Strange point the spirit still has a safe around its output so excise can be enforced on every drop and the cuts are done by sight alone? Wtf?
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby orcy » Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:17 pm

When we visited scotland the distillers had access to the stream on the spirit still, they switch a valve when they start taking hearts and it directs it straight to the bonded warehouse for barreling. As soon as the valve was switched it had to be locked. It was like a firehose of whisky. Remember these are master distillers working to a consistent recipe. Cuts are basically on volume. Heads went to the drain, tails back to the still. The joy of extended aging is that you just age longer if the barrel tastes bad, and if its really bad you sell it to the blend labels.

The 4 step mash is interesting. I honestly cant remember what glenfidich said they did.
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby ThePaterPiper » Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:47 pm

orcy wrote:The 4 step mash is interesting. I honestly cant remember what glenfidich said they did.


Or was it that you couldn't understand it? :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

:text-offtopic: I was very fortunate to have played pipes in a Sydney Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the regiment guys were barely understandable. The only words you could understand for sure were the expletives! the good part was there were plenty of them
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby wynnum1 » Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:28 am

If you are going to use grain would suggest a small amount of sugar or dextrose would make no difference in taste if not over done and cut costs.
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby orcy » Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:42 am

ThePaterPiper wrote:
orcy wrote:The 4 step mash is interesting. I honestly cant remember what glenfidich said they did.


Or was it that you couldn't understand it? :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling: :laughing-rolling:

:text-offtopic: I was very fortunate to have played pipes in a Sydney Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the regiment guys were barely understandable. The only words you could understand for sure were the expletives! the good part was there were plenty of them


I didnt have too nuch trouble understanding them. And since My wife and i are both red headed so were treated as locals pretty much everywhere we went. Amazing country to visit. And the distelleries are fantastic, even the overhyped commercial ones.
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby bluc » Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:15 pm

Yea i thought of the strict control in comercial distilleries on fermentation. So yea could prob do cuts on volume and abv. But still no sibstitute for taste.
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby ThePaterPiper » Thu Sep 21, 2017 6:24 pm

I guess that's why the cheaper scotch has that sting to it and the more expensive ones don't. Not to mention the filfthy hangover some of them give you. More interested in volume than quality I think.


I'm sure it is Orcy, I have a real compulsion to go, feels like a drawing home. Just don't have the pennies!
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby wynnum1 » Fri Sep 22, 2017 12:41 pm

If you put in an oak keg for long enough a lot of the crap will disappear but keeping for 12 to 18 years is going to get expensive.
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Re: Real Scotch Whisky Mashing

Postby orcy » Fri Sep 22, 2017 1:30 pm

I guess when you produce 10M litres a year and can store 800k barrels in your warehouse that small things like a barrel of heads and tails here and there dont make much difference to your bottom line. For the homedistiller trying to save a buck or two AND drink quality spirits it makes all the difference.
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