Whiskey Essences

[grasmere]

I had a couple of Classic 6 Turbo Yeasts left over and so I searched the web to see what the favourite whiskey essences where.
I trundled off to my local Wallington Vic Brewing supplier. Hello Heath (a lovely chap) who remembered my name from my first visit and set me up for grain for "shipwright's Bitter",
My first attempt being a total disaster when my Brewzilla circulating pump lost suction due insufficient mash level, when I remembered a well known you tube brewing Instruction
advocate having the same problem and stirring like mad to make up a base level. Only my attempt at furiously stirring, "don't laugh" , finished in lifting the filter plate and allowing the mash to enter beneath.
Getting back to Essences it would seem that Willards came out on top and so I bought half a dozen different Whiskey and Gin Essences , only to find that the taste can best be described in four letters, that is not love.
I would be interested to find if members find the need for these essences and if so what they would use?

[bluc]

What does "insufficient mash level " mean :think: all grain can be a pita but not sure this is a thing...

[grasmere]

Hello bluc It would seem that I didn't have sufficient mash water to allow it to seep through to the base where the pump takes suction. Excuse the technical terms

[grasmere]

Heath suggested 15 ltr mash and 15 Ktr Sparge which then worked out Ok

[bluc]

Ahhhh mash thickness. I do 4.1 ratio
final in the fermenter . 10kg grain 8 get 40l liquid. 1.065 is great effeciency :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[grasmere]

bluc is that 4 to 1 ratio Malt to water

[grasmere]

I can see what you mean thank you

[coffe addict]

Yep 4L water to 1kg of grain. I had a nearly drinkable product using the expensive still spirits whisky sachet and then using Willard's whisky chips for 2 months.

Stick at the all grain it's a little challenging at first but very muchly worth it!

[southern45]

Getting back to Essences it would seem that Willards came out on top and so I bought half a dozen different Whiskey and Gin Essences , only to find that the taste can best be described in four letters, that is not love.
I would be interested to find if members find the need for these essences and if so what they would use?

The chemical smell and aftertaste always got me. No thank you. But for people who like to drink crap whisky/rum mixed with coke at BBQs and gatherings (for example they are currently chugging down pre-mix cans from the bottle shop), they don't seem to have a problem with essence-based home spirits.

[bluc]

I always use mixers :teasing-neener: but still dont like essence spirits.

[grasmere]

Thank you for the replies and confirming my experiences. I didn't mention that Wallington's made up a batch of 6KG pale malt barrett and peat smoked malt a while ago and I managed to muck that up, but that was using 35 Ltr Beerme boiler and brew in a bag, much too ambitious at the time

[grasmere]

bluc what are mixers?

[Doubleuj]

Coke, ginger ale etc, what ever takes your fancy :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[grasmere]

If TPW and Weetbix/allbran are neutral sprits i.e Gin. How do I make Gin and Vodka without essences

[Doubleuj]

Vodka is just a neutral, the “essence” they sell must be nothing more than 15ml of water.
Gin isn’t my forte, others will chime in and help you there :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[grasmere]

Thank you for the reply, so we call the end product of tpw and weetbix Vodka

[The Stig]

I always use mixers :teasing-neener: but still dont like essence spirits.

You go to all the trouble, time, blood sweat and tears to lovingly craft the very best you can then you seriously basterdise it with " mixers"
We should permaban you for such blasphemy :violence-smack:
:laughing-rolling: :teasing-neener:

[grasmere]

The stig some of us don't want to plastered

[Doubleuj]

Thank you for the reply, so we call the end product of tpw and weetbix Vodka

Yes, but really we call it a neutral (which a true vodka is)

[bluc]

Dont give up grasmere and enjoy the process with as little stress about numbers as possible. :handgestures-thumbupleft: if you stuff up an allgrain mash turn it into a sugarhead(sugar based mash with grain for flavour rather than fermentables) dont matter much what ratios grain you have i use a 20kg bucket full for 180l liquid and 25kg sugar with bakers yeast. Downside is you get less flavour. The flavour of sugar extracted from grain during all grain process has the flavour charecteristics of the grain but table sugar has little flavour so in case of sugarhead when fermenting the table sugar not the grain, grain is added for flavour. You can further bolster flavour by using backset(stuff left in boiler after run)in the next wash/mash..