Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

A local distillery here was buying their single malt washes from a local brewery during their start up, and as they were eventually able to mash their own onsite, the brewery was left with about 20 cubes of single malt washes which they have been selling to me for $20 each. So far I've bought 8 22l cubes in total.

I distilled a 44l wash 8 weeks ago and I've been sampling it ever since but it tastes nothing at all like scotch. It's overly sweet to the point that I can't drink too much of it.

It was made using 100% pilsiner malt with a final gravity of 1.072 and I fermented it using safspirit American whiskey yeast.
I've been ageing it in mason jars at 62.5% with 12g med charred American oak/litre and I can't say that it's improved at all during the last 2 months.

I've read a lot of comments here regarding people's opinions on boiling whisky wort and the claims that it will carry over unwanted sweetness, however some people tend to disagree. As these were cubed, they have been boiled so Im wondering if that's what's caused this unwanted sweetness to occur.
I also read in a distilling book that when aiming for a scotch-style whisky, at least a small amount of peated malt is "necessary for a crucial chemical reaction" even if the distiller dislikes peated whiskies.

I'm thinking that with the next cube I'll mix it 50/50 with 20l heavy peat and see what happens but in the meantime I'd really like to hear some of your opinions on this.

Interesting, what is the reason for boiling increasing the sweetness?

I've made some bone dry pilsners and saisons which were all boiled, I can't seed that being the issue but I am very new to distilling. What was your FG? (I'm assuming 1.072 was your SG?)

pat_00 wrote:Interesting, what is the reason for boiling increasing the sweetness?

I've made some bone dry pilsners and saisons which were all boiled, I can't seed that being the issue but I am very new to distilling. What was your FG? (I'm assuming 1.072 was your SG?)

I've read many comments here claiming that boiling whiskey wort increases unfermentables in the wash and that carries over unwanted sweetness.
The wash finished at 1.010 so I was pretty happy with that.
Did your pilsiner washes resemble scotch at all and were they very sweet?

I'm thinking that maybe only time on oak may eventually dry out the sweetness but I'm not too confident that that will be the case.

My Pilsner mashes are done at a lower temp (62C vs 66C for ale mashes) to increase the dryness. But your final gravity of 1.01 is pretty much as low as you can normally get from AG in my experience. I can't imagine there would be a lot of sweetness left at that FG.

One of the more experienced members here might be able to help?

I suspect it is from the American Oak.

I could be wrong however !

Yeah I was thinking the same, I think charred oak adds sugars to the spirit.

I have found 100% Pilsner to be a little sweet, needs some other grains to make it more like a Scotch, I would try some Malt that will give a bit of Biscuit flavour, ie Amber Malt or Belgian Biscuit Malt. Then add something else, peated Malt or similar to get a little smokiness. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Its been on oak only for 2months ?
Come back when its 6 months old.

bluess57 wrote:Its been on oak only for 2months ?
Come back when its 6 months old.

Or 2 years.

Have you tried the distilleries product that used the same wash?

TasSpirits wrote:I have found 100% Pilsner to be a little sweet, needs some other grains to make it more like a Scotch, I would try some Malt that will give a bit of Biscuit flavour, ie Amber Malt or Belgian Biscuit Malt. Then add something else, peated Malt or similar to get a little smokiness. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

So many different grains to try. I'll start experimenting and see what I can come up with. I'll begin with exactly what you just mentioned. Would you use all of those malts together or just choose one to combine with these cubes?

Sam. wrote:

bluess57 wrote:Its been on oak only for 2months ?
Come back when its 6 months old.

Or 2 years.

Have you tried the distilleries product that used the same wash?

That's a great idea. I'll give the distillery a call and ask them if I can buy a bottle from this exact wash. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Lol.
"Hey guys. Trying to make a whisky from that old wash you don't use anymore. Which whiskey do you make from it so I can compare?"

Not sure how that conversations going to go.

warramungas wrote:Lol.
"Hey guys. Trying to make a whisky from that old wash you don't use anymore. Which whiskey do you make from it so I can compare?"

Not sure how that conversations going to go.

The distillery in in a small country town mate. I'm pretty certain they'll remember why they were getting a local brewery to help out and what they made from it. It'll be just a matter of IF they'll sell me any of it.

Probley from www.5stardistilling.com.au brewing in wodonga