Easy "Scotch" (with a twist)

[spit'n'shine]

Hi All,

My aim in this hobby was always to make a fantastic Scotch but there is a lot of work (and/or costs) involved, not to mention the ageing process. Since I invested in the bubbler, it has made it so easy to try different things without the need for strip and spirit runs. This recipe may sound a bit crazy but this has to be the best stuff I have tasted with minimal/zero ageing. Not sure if anyone has done something similar but here is the recipe I have done with excellent results:

For a 30L fermenter:

Ingredients:

500g 9 Grain Vita Weats (2 x 250g Packets)
2 Tablespoons Vegemite
4.5Kg Sugar
2 Tablespoons Lowan Baker's Yeast

Method:

Put the Vita Weats and Vegemite into a large pot. Cover with hot water and bring to the boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, stirring occasionally and mashing the biscuits with the back of the spoon. Simmer for about 15 mins. Meanwhile, put a bucket of hot water and the sugar into the fermenter and stir to dissolve. Add the Vita Weat and Vegemite "mash" to the fermenter and top up to 27L with cold water. Sg will be about 1.07. Pitch yeast at 30deg.
When fermented, Fg will be around .995 and wash will clear and settle. Rack and run through a plated column. Make cuts being sure to include late hearts/early tails. Notice that the tails don't smell too off? At this point, you can either age (or drink) or do a second gen.
To do the second gen, add 3 litres of backset to a bucket and dissolve 4.5kg more of sugar. Make another batch of the "mash" and add to a clean fermenter along with the sugar and backset. Top top 27L and pitch 2Tbs of yeast. Distill when ready with feints from first gen. Make cuts and blend with cuts from first gen (this will give a bit more flavour to the first gen). Age or drink.

I found this to have a complex flavour similar to a good scotch blend with a liquorice undertone. I also tried it with some homemade peatreek http://aussiedistiller.com.au/viewtopic ... 2&start=20

This turned it into an Islay style whisky instantly for those who enjoy those flavours.

Please give this a go a let me know your results. I have not aged any for more than a week but I can only see it getting better!

s'n's

[Urrazeb]

Hmmm this is interesting.

I'm game :handgestures-thumbupleft: I'll give it a crack mate

[spit'n'shine]

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

Let us know how yours turns out mate. If its as good as mine, you won't be disappointed!

I'll keep testing this recipe as it ages, and add to this thread as I do.

[Atreu]

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

Let us know how yours turns out mate. If its as good as mine, you won't be disappointed!

I'll keep testing this recipe as it ages, and add to this thread as I do.

Hey Spit, how has your testing with this recipe gone? Has it aged as well as you had hoped it would?

[spit'n'shine]

:handgestures-thumbupleft:

Let us know how yours turns out mate. If its as good as mine, you won't be disappointed!

I'll keep testing this recipe as it ages, and add to this thread as I do.

Hey Spit, how has your testing with this recipe gone? Has it aged as well as you had hoped it would?

Sorry it took so long to reply! :oops: I actually tried some for the first time in months last weekend. It is really tasty!! Aniseed taste has really eased off to very subtle (just adds a bit of character) but definately a scotch-like flavour. I am very happy with it for how simple and cheap the recipe is! A while longer on oak will improve it even more for sure.
I would really like to hear others opinions on it so I'm hoping someone else will give it a go soon. A real nice change from UJ or DWWG.. That's for sure!

[rumdidlydum]

I'm verry interested in giving this one a go :think:
The vegemite would be a good yeast nutrient wouldn't it?
And obviously flavour.

[WTDist]

Im keen when i get fermenting flavored washes.

I eat Vegemite by the spoonful :D

[spit'n'shine]

I'm verry interested in giving this one a go :think:
The vegemite would be a good yeast nutrient wouldn't it?
And obviously flavour.

Hey rumdidlydum, That's what I figured.. Definitely had no trouble fermenting out dry, and it has not added any off flavours to the distillate. From memory the wash was pleasant too, like a beer! Give it a go! I'm getting on it now actually, loving it!! :-D

I'm going to do another batch soon, I have the feints from last run and some backset in the freezer.. I'm assuming the flavour will be stronger next batch. :drool:

Im keen when i get fermenting flavored washes.

I eat Vegemite by the spoonful :D

WTDist, I'm not a huge fan of Vegemite but thought it would a) act as a yeast nutrient, b) add a "darker" flavour to the wash and c) be a bit of a novelty as Vegemite and vita-weats go hand in hand (apparently).. :-D

[spit'n'shine]

Vita-Weats were on special at Woolies today so I thought I would have another crack at this. Everything the same except 3 packets (750g total) of the bisuits instead of 2. 2 litres of backset were also added to the wash and the feints from the previous run will be added to the boiler for distilling.

I am making an effort to intensify the flavour as it is very nice but not quite as strong as I would like.

So the recipe for 27L total is now:

4.5kg sugar
2 Tbsp vegemite
3 packets 9 grain Vita weats (750g total)
2 Tbsp Bakers yeast

Anybody tried this yet?

[mattcoffs]

So what made you try vegemite mate? Was it for a nutrient or flavour? i'm curious because i too eat the shit from a spoon but would never have thought to try it in scotch! :)

[stattonb]

just put a 25ltre batch of this down and is bubbling away really nice, i dont like scotch but the guy next store does so gonna try it out on him when its ready

[EziTasting]

just put a 25ltre batch of this down and is bubbling away really nice, i dont like scotch but the guy next store does so gonna try it out on him when its ready

as a newbie, I am very keen to see how you went with this? Repeating someone else recipe can always bring on surprises... While I'm not ready to still anything (need a still :)) ) I would love to know how easy this was to repeat. It certainly looks easy enough!

[stattonb]

Doing 2nd gen now it fermented out in 5 days and look promising

[stattonb]

3rd gen getting run now doesnt have the best smell when ya open the ferm but still coming along nicely

[EziTasting]

3rd gen getting run now doesnt have the best smell when ya open the ferm but still coming along nicely

Are you testing how many Gens you get out of this before it goes to crap, or do you already know how many gens can be used?
Sorry, bit short on knowledge about generational stilling/fermenting... have read that it is part of the regular process with some distillers to ensure a consistent product?!?!

[Nino]

3rd gen getting run now doesnt have the best smell when ya open the ferm but still coming along nicely

Are you testing how many Gens you get out of this before it goes to crap, or do you already know how many gens can be used?
Sorry, bit short on knowledge about generational stilling/fermenting... have read that it is part of the regular process with some distillers to ensure a consistent product?!?!

:text-+1:

[stattonb]

only done up to 3rd gen so im n ot sure got half on oak for 3 weeks and the rest straight into the bottle

[Unna240]

I did a single gen and ran it through the bubbler can't say I'm keen on the unoaked 40 percent stuff and I love single malt. I have 2 litres at 65 percent with 2 heavy charred dominoes, hopefully it improves to a point where it is drinkable :puke-huge: (mine is quite nasty atm) not sure why. I haven't given up on it just yet though.I had high hopes for it also, I don't like Vegemite though could be part of it possibly.

[stattonb]

yea i have noticed it does need to be aged for abit to become drinkable well thats going by my taste buds lol

[spit'n'shine]

yea i have noticed it does need to be aged for abit to become drinkable well thats going by my taste buds lol

Hey stattonb, hows it tasting after aging? I'm trying some of my last batch labeled 19/8/15 and it is good! Very scotchy compared to any other homemade stuff I've tried.

I did a single gen and ran it through the bubbler can't say I'm keen on the unoaked 40 percent stuff and I love single malt. I have 2 litres at 65 percent with 2 heavy charred dominoes, hopefully it improves to a point where it is drinkable :puke-huge: (mine is quite nasty atm) not sure why. I haven't given up on it just yet though.I had high hopes for it also, I don't like Vegemite though could be part of it possibly.

Unna240, I found it was very drinkable straight from the parrots beak ;-) .. Only thing I can think of is did you use the "9 Grain Vita weats"? They have a higher barley percentage compared to the others.