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How do you make a whisky at home
How to make your own whisky
With Pure Sugar(dextrose brewing sugar):
Works beautifully, however, Still Spirits Classic Whiskey essences which are a must to achieve a good result.
During fermentation, the Distillers Whisky yeast produces the perfect compound set to promote the authentic whiskey aroma and character providing the ultimate distillate base for use with Still Spirits Classic Whiskey essences.
Whisky/Whiskey Making Equipment
Instructions - For Making whisky
- Add 7kg dextrose into your clean fermenter with 3L boiling water, stir to mix (don't worry if it does not dissolve at this stage). Top up to 25 Litres with cold water, stir to dissolve completely.
- Add the Turbo Carbon – this is important to absorb impurities produced by the yeast during fermentation.
- Add the Whisky Yeast and leave to ferment for seven days at 22 – 28°C. Lower temperatures are fine down to 15C but will double fermentation time. Higher temperatures will increase flavour and aroma production of the yeast.
- After the fermentation, add Turbo Clear to remove More than 99% of the solids (spent carbon/yeast cells and other fermentation solids). Don't worry if the wash remains hazy after treatment with Turbo clear. It's more important that the wash doesn't sit on the spent yeast for more than 24hrs rather than trying to remove the last 1% solids, so go ahead and distil the wash one day after adding Turbo clear even if it is still hazy.
- Distil the clear wash after syphoning off the sediment is completed. For Whisky the perfect still will produce alcohol at between ideal 84 – 88% so if using a Turbo 500 still run it without any saddles for only 2 ½ to 3 hours to achieve this lower alcoholic strength. (Operating temperature will be about 680°C) For a fuller flavoured whisky try using a pot still.
- Once you've collected your distillate, dilute to 50%ABV with good quality water then hold for three days in a 10L bucket adding one further sachet of Turbo Carbon. Stir twice daily then allow the activated carbon to settle on day three before fine filtering. Don't pass through activated carbon column filter as this will remove too much of the character from your Rum.
- Dilute to 40%ABV with good quality water, bottle and leave to smooth for at least one month. Lastly, add one of the Classic Whiskey Essences. With 1.5kg of Coopers Dark Malt Extract: This will make a superb whisky, make exactly as above whisky 'with pure sugar' method except reduce the dextrose from 6 to 5kg.
Whisky Making Supplies
From Grains: (whisky old fashioned recipe)
Use which-ever grains appropriate to the style of Whisky recipe you wish to produce, there are hundreds of whisky recipes on the web, but having selected your method, ignore the web instructions and follow the instructions below.
Instructions for homemade whisky
- All grains used should be crushed or finely cracked. Add 4kg grain into a suitable large pan and add cold water to a final volume of 10 litres and bring to the boil. Add the contents of the Still Spirits 4g amylase sachet and gently simmer for 30 minutes stirring frequently. Do not use standard brewers amylase because it won't be temperature tolerant Remove from the heat then add 4.5kg dextrose, stir to dissolve and allow to cool to between 50–60°C.
- Transfer the entire contents into a fermentation bucket (no need to strain) then top up to 25 Litres with cold water, stir to mix and allow to cool to below 25°C.
- Add the Turbo Carbon – this is important to absorb impurities produced by the yeast during fermentation.
- Add the Whisky Yeast and leave to ferment for seven days at ideally 22 - 28°C. Avoid higher temperatures. The grain will create excessive foaming so place somewhere appropriate and don't use an airlock (rest the fermenter lid loosely on the bucket). During fermentation, the AG enzyme (already contained within the Whisky Yeast sachet) will finish the job of converting the starch into fermentable sugars to maximise your yield.
- After fermentation, add Turbo Clear to remove more than 99% of the solids (spent carbon/yeast cells and other fermentation solids). Don't worry if the wash remains hazy after treatment with Turbo clear. It's more important that the wash doesn't sit on the spent yeast and solids for More than 24hrs rather than trying to remove the last 1% of solid, go ahead and distil the wash one day after adding the Turbo clear even if still hazy.
- Distil the clear wash after siphoning off the sediment. Necessary to use a pot still here to ensure the distillate is between the range of 60% and 75% ABV.
- Once you've collected your distillate, dilute it to 50% ABV with good quality water then hold for three days in a 10L bucket adding one further sachet of the Turbo Carbon. Stir twice daily then allow the activated carbon to settle on day three before fine filtering. Don't pass through activated carbon column filter as this will remove too much of the character from your Whisky.
- Dilute to 40%ABV with good quality water, bottle with oak chips, cubes or chunks to allow oak flavour development and leave to smooth for at least 12 months. The addition of Still Spirits Classic Whiskey essence will also produce a much more luxurious whiskey style.
