Scotch 101

Scotch whisky demands a tremendous amount of time to produce. It can be a tedious process that will last for many years. On the other hand, if it's crafted in the right way, the product is one that's worth the long wait.

First, the barley is submerged in tanks of water for roughly 3 days. The moisture causes the barley to begin the germination process. When germinated, the barley will be moved to the malting area of the distillery where it'll be put into drums often known as the malting floor.

The goal of the germination process is to transform the starch in the grains into fermentable sugars. The yeast will metabolize the sugars generating alcohol during the fermentation phase. Turning the barley often makes sure the temperature will stay consistent. Wooden shovels known as sheils are employed to turn the grains on a traditional malting floor. The grains will die-off if the temperatures gets above 71 degrees F. This would in turn stop the process because the starch will not be changed into fermentable sugars.

The grain will then be kiln dried to halt the germination process and the continuation of sugar consumption. Usually, a traditional kiln is a building standing two stories tall with the top perforated to allow for all heat to escape. The bottom floor contains peat bricks that are burned. During this process the grain is dried and absorbs the peat smell and flavour. The pagoda roof style on a distillery is the most distinct feature. Nowadays, most of the distilleries purchase malt from a centralized malting company. On the other hand, there remain a small group that are traditional and do everything themselves.

The grain is milled into grist and combined with water in mash tubs. The mixture is heated to sixty degrees. Throughout the mashing period the water is changed a minimum of four times to remove sediment. The result of the mashing is named wort. The wort has to be cooled off before combining with yeast. This large container isn't filled completely since wort froths a lot due to carbon dioxide. By the time 2 or 3 days have passed, all yeast is killed from the alcohol it made. The ultimate product of this cycle is called wash. It has 5 to 8 percent alcohol.

The stills in which the wash is put are made of copper and are regulated to a specific shape that allows for proper distillation to take place. Distillation is normally completed twice, however, some distillers do it 3 times or more. When the whole process is finished the distillate will be put into barrels made usually of oak, for a no less than three years. On the other hand, many Scotch whiskies are aged for much longer.

To discover more about how to make whiskey and the process of distillation take a look at How To Make Whiskey HQ. There you'll find mash recipies and detailed instructions for making whiskey at home.