Aussiedistiller, Home Distilling, Moonshine, Home Brew

Single malt means its all malted barley and made at a single distillery on a pot still. Most blended whisky has some grain alcohol blended in.

orcy wrote:Single malt means its all malted barley and made at a single distillery on a pot still. Most blended whisky has some grain alcohol blended in.

Not all malted barley, all malted grain. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

So technically could even make a single malt corn whiskey..

bluc wrote:So technically could even make a single malt corn whiskey..

Any grain is fine as long as its all malted, scotch definitions are the tightest, it really comes down to the country you live in. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yes but malt whisky can imply there is a blend ;-)

Blended whisky can and regularly does contain neutral spirit. It's not whisky from different barrels or distilleries mixed together.

If you want to be technical,

Single malt scotch must to be all malted barley distilled at one distillery and can only use pot stills and has to be aged 3 years and 1 day in casks minimum, those sets of rules aren't universal for all single malts.

As for blended scotch whisky, it is as far as I'm aware only a blend of malt and grain whiskys from several to many distilleries. For example from memory chivas regal has 20 different whisky's in it and Jura i think do or at least did one that had over 30.

But then you've also got blended malts, which are blends of only single malts, no grain whisky. Good example of this is monkey shoulder which I know has Glenfiddich and a couple of other distilleries single malts in it too.

Single grain exists in Ireland and Scotland and that is malted and unmalted grain like corn, wheat or whatever mixed with barley. I've never tried a single grain whisky.

Then if you stay in Ireland you've got the single pot still whiskey. That's malted and unmalted grain, mostly barley but this one can have wheat and oats in it too. Think redbreast for this stuff.

If you go to Canada you've got different rules again and single malt can be made from rye.

As for australia, I have no idea about our single malt rules and stipulations.

It's all interesting anyway, if you can't tell I really enjoy learning and tasting all different forms of whisky. My personal goal is to one day be making good all grain single malts, might have to back down from my bubbler to a pot still if I want that scotch type character though!

Good post sparrow :clap:

Sam. wrote:Good post sparrow :clap:

:text-+1:

I've read similar (and have a similar affliction to you, Sparrow) but I don't recal it being specified to "Pot Stills"?!?!
I think, and don't quote me, that has more to do with tradition and experience of Master Distillers that are currently running these processes!
Bubble plate stills are relatively new technology (I believe) wich is still being developed and, as such, hasn't proven itself enough as yet to be implemented in the larger commercial distilleries; but it's coming (see all the boutique distilleries here in Oz and the US)!

So I wonder if the reference to Pot Stills is inferred only or is it actually stated?? :think:

EziTasting wrote:Bit excited but the plan for tomorrow is to run the first AG over our 4 plates in a single run, and (power permitting) do another AG of the second grain we have to do another 'Single Malt'...

We have 3 different malts but we don't know their flavour, so we're doing them one at a time first before we start to mix them together... wonder if that still makes them a "Single Malt"?!? :D
It's only malted Barley...

Rito, ran the first attempt over 4 plates, nice and easy! and had a rather disappointing result... 6 jars @ 300ml each, not a high starting ABV (90% then quickly went down to mid-high 80's...last jar was around 60%)...

at the same time we were trying to mash the next different grain, Pale Ale. Paid much more attention to qty of water to grains and, thanx to Tas, had a procedure to follow. Unfortunately we had 'technical difficulty' and had to fix some of the electrics, which resulted in overheating of the grains ... :angry-banghead: but we fixed it and just happened to have some Alpha Amylase handy to assist. Iodine test showed that it was fully converted ... so we strained it and moved the wort into the FV.
SG was again only 1.043, but we are learning and testing the grains for flavour...

What are the returns on your washes? We have an approximate FV volume of 40-45L... FG appeared to be very similar to the starting SG, so room for improvement on our technique (not just production but testing as well) - taking off foreshots, then 6 x 300ml jars isn't a lot! Guaranteed the last 2 are tails (not as manky as the sugared tails, but definitely tails!) ... :think:

20kg low grade sugar, 20lt molasses

What volume magnus? I do 21 of each in 180l total volume :handgestures-thumbupleft:

EziTasting wrote:

EziTasting wrote:Bit excited but the plan for tomorrow is to run the first AG over our 4 plates in a single run, and (power permitting) do another AG of the second grain we have to do another 'Single Malt'...

We have 3 different malts but we don't know their flavour, so we're doing them one at a time first before we start to mix them together... wonder if that still makes them a "Single Malt"?!? :D
It's only malted Barley...

Rito, ran the first attempt over 4 plates, nice and easy! and had a rather disappointing result... 6 jars @ 300ml each, not a high starting ABV (90% then quickly went down to mid-high 80's...last jar was around 60%)...

at the same time we were trying to mash the next different grain, Pale Ale. Paid much more attention to qty of water to grains and, thanx to Tas, had a procedure to follow. Unfortunately we had 'technical difficulty' and had to fix some of the electrics, which resulted in overheating of the grains ... :angry-banghead: but we fixed it and just happened to have some Alpha Amylase handy to assist. Iodine test showed that it was fully converted ... so we strained it and moved the wort into the FV.
SG was again only 1.043, but we are learning and testing the grains for flavour...

What are the returns on your washes? We have an approximate FV volume of 40-45L... FG appeared to be very similar to the starting SG, so room for improvement on our technique (not just production but testing as well) - taking off foreshots, then 6 x 300ml jars isn't a lot! Guaranteed the last 2 are tails (not as manky as the sugared tails, but definitely tails!) ... :think:

What yeast are you using? I usually strip until I have at least 30L, then spirit run. For a 45L ferment I usually get at least 7L @ 40% of low wines. Your SG seems quite low, what grain are you using?

Yeast:- Safsal 05
Grain: Pilzner Mal

Yes, we are aware that the SG is quite low, that's what by I sent you the PM. Our plan was to do a single run over 4 plates as we are trying to get the flavour profile of the 3 different grains.

EziTasting wrote:Yeast:- Safsal 05
Grain: Pilzner Mal

Yes, we are aware that the SG is quite low, that's what by I sent you the PM. Our plan was to do a single run over 4 plates as we are trying to get the flavour profile of the 3 different grains.

I'm following this with interest, keen to see how a single malt through a glasser goes. How are you planning to nature it?

Well, depending on final volumes either 8L glass jars with dominoes or the small barrels we have (2 x 3L & a 5L).
Used the barrels on some CFW and it came out amazing!

EziTasting wrote:Well, depending on final volumes either 8L glass jars with dominoes or the small barrels we have (2 x 3L & a 5L).
Used the barrels on some CFW and it came out amazing!

How long does it take in 3 And 5 litre ones? I heard in those small barrels they can over oak if you're not careful.

Sparrow wrote:

EziTasting wrote:Well, depending on final volumes either 8L glass jars with dominoes or the small barrels we have (2 x 3L & a 5L).
Used the barrels on some CFW and it came out amazing!

How long does it take in 3 And 5 litre ones? I heard in those small barrels they can over oak if you're not careful.

Depends on your personal taste.

The CFW was in the barrel for 7 weeks and was amazing (seriously considered robbing Bugburner for it :D ) even our wives liked it (my wife being the fussiest, but I know she's got good taste, she chose ME didn't she :dance: )...

We've had the beer strip (stripping old beer kegs) in glass jars with 16g dominos/L for 9+ months and I've got my gen3 Macrum now for nearly 13months in a glass jar with 16g Domino/L

time is your friend, it hates volume :laughing-rolling: , but it makes for the best flavours!

Our barrels are new, too, so their continued use will change the time the liquid needs to stay in there... just keep tasting ... you'll get to a point where its just right!

bluc wrote:What volume magnus? I do 21 of each in 180l total volume :handgestures-thumbupleft:

It'll be going in the 200lt fermenter, leave it down a bit and top up to about 180 once it settles down a bit

Gen 1 UJ, got the ok from the Minister of finance to get 2 x 100L barrels, going to make 200L of UJ for the first fill, leave them for a year. One will be AG Whisky, the other Rum :teasing-tease: