Did you know that alcoholic beverages such as mead and wine are thought to have been made at least 7000 years ago?
While our modern understanding of whiskey production isn’t quite as old, it still comes with rich history and techniques that are worthy of awe and appreciation.
In most situations, the method of making whisky differs based on the kind of whisky, the country in which it was distilled, and other variables.
If you’re unfamiliar with the nuances of the fermentation process of whiskey, no worries. We’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for our full breakdown of the whole whiskey production process, from start to finish.
Whiskey’s Origins and History
Whiskey is a spirit made from grain that has been fermented and matured in oak barrels. Sprits are alcoholic beverages that have undergone distillation.
Some additional spirits include brandy (made from wine), rum from sugarcane juice or molasses, vodka (made from grain but not aged), and gin. Brewers create gin from juniper berries (also distilled from grain and unaged but flavored with juniper berries and other ingredients.)
Rice spirits were initially distilled in China about 800 B.C. using the distillation method (heating an alcoholic beverage to remove, collect, and concentrate the alcohol).
Sugarcane juice, rice, or palm juice are used to make Arrack, which is similar to rum. It was also produced through distillation in Asia at the same time.
Wine was distilled by the ancient Arabs, Romans, and Greeks to generate brandy-like drinks. In the 8th century, the Arabs brought distillation to western Europe, particularly in Spain and France.
Whiskey Production: One Stage at a Time
Now that you’re familiar with the historical origins of whiskey and similar beverages, here’s what the actual process of creating whiskey looks like.
We’ll take it one stage at a time.
Malting the Grain
All whiskey comes from grain. Brewers create malt whisky from barley, which they need to handle in a unique way to unlock its sugars.
You’ll detect an enzyme after the barley is half sprouted or germinated in a process known as malting. During heating, brewers stop the barley’s germination process.
Mashing Away
Before fermentation, brewers remove the sugars in the grain via mashing. Grinding the grains into a fine powder, they add them to a big tank (known as a mash tun or tub) of hot water, and the process begins.
It is not uncommon for a distiller to add some ground malted barley to the process of converting starches into sugars, even if they are not manufacturing malt whiskey. The final product resembles a bowl of oatmeal.
As soon as the sugar content of the combination has reached maximum capacity, it is now ready for fermentation. Brewers call this “mash.”
Creating Yeast: The Fermentation Process
When the mash/wort meets yeast, the yeast eats up all the sugars in the liquid and transforms them into alcohol, resulting in the fermentation process. Washbacks are the tanks in which this happens.
Distinct fermentation durations and yeast strains result in a range of different tastes, and the process may take anywhere from 48 to 96 hours. Before entering the still, the resultant beer-like liquid, known as distiller’s beer or wash, has a BAC of between 7% and 10%.
Increasing Alcohol Concentration: Distillation
A liquid’s alcohol concentration increases during distillation, which also liberates beneficial and harmful volatile components from the liquid.
Copper stills are often used to remove undesirable taste and aroma components from alcohol. Pot stills and column stills, the two most prevalent forms of stills, operate differently.
Pot Still Distillation
In the distillation of malt whiskies from countries such as Scotland, Ireland, and the United States as well as countries like Japan, pot stills are often employed, albeit not always.
Distilling using a pot still is a one-time operation. Brewers use double-distillation in certain styles, while they use three-distillation in others.
They heat the wash in the first still, which is also known as the low wine still. A lower boiling point than water allows alcohol vapors to ascend from the liquid and into a still neck and lyne arm, where it’s condensed back to liquid.
It is then transferred to a second still, or spirit still, where they repeat the distillation process.
A third distillation is possible at this point. The finished spirit leaves the still at roughly 60 to 70 percent ABV, depending on the kind of grain used. Heads and tails are the undesired tastes and smells that the distiller discards or retains at the beginning and end of the run. They use barrel-aging barrels for the remainder, called the “heart.”
Column Still Distillation
In addition to bourbon, rye, and other American whiskeys, column stills (also known as continuous or Coffey stills) are also often employed in the production of grain whiskies from across the world. It is no longer necessary to use pot stills for batch processing when using the column.
They add the brewer’s beer to the column still at the top and descend via a series of holes. Meanwhile, the still’s heated steam rises from its base and interacts with the flowing beer, separating the sediments and undesired substances from the lighter alcohol vapors.
To get rid of heavy chemicals like congeners and raise the alcohol level, the condensed vapors strike each plate. The vapor eventually condenses in a condenser.
Whisky may consist of 95 percent ABV in column stills, although the vast majority of whiskies’ brewers aim at lower proofs. In any case, they add a column on top of a pot in hybrid stills.
The Wood-Based Undertone: Maturation
A large majority of whiskies are matured in wooden casks, most often made of oak. Unaged maize whiskey is a remarkable exception to the rule.
For American whiskeys, such as bourbon, rye, and others, freshly charred oak barrels must be used, but for other nations’ styles, the kind of wood and its prior usage are often left to the distiller. You can explore some delicious American whiskey here: https://www.hootenyoung.com/product/american-whiskey/.
Warehouses hold barrels of whiskey, and when the spirit develops, part of the alcohol evaporates. This is known as the angels’ share, and it provides a unique (and pleasant) aroma in the warehouse. Several types of whisky, such as scotch, need a certain age before they may be sold.
Bottling
Manufactures bottle whiskey at a minimum of 40% ABV after aging for at least three years. To avoid getting foggy when mixed with ice or cold water, the whiskey might be chill-filtered or filtered in another manner.
Most of the world’s best-known whiskey brands rely on bottling runs that blend a number of barrels from the distillery’s storage. Brewers designate a single cask or single barrel if they’ve bottled just one barrel at a time.
Scotch Grain Whisky: The Differences in Make and Processes
Grain whiskey typically contains between 10% and 20% malted barley, as well as unmalted grains like wheat or maize. Pre-cooking releases the non-malted grains’ starch and converts it into sugars. Malt whisky’s mash and fermentation procedures are quite similar.
Brewers use a continuous or Coffey still, named after its creator Aeneas Coffey, to distill the wash. A rectifier and an analyzer make up the two tallest columns. They fill the rectifier with steam at the top, where they pipe in cold water.
A heat exchanger is really what the columns are. Brewers create scotch grain spirit by cooling the alcohol, condensing it, and allowing it to evaporate.
In comparison to most malt whiskies, the distilled grain spirit has a milder flavor and scent. And hence, it needs a shorter maturation period.
Blending accounts for the majority of grain whiskey that has been aging for a long period of time.
Understanding the Art of Blending
Single malts are growing more popular, yet blending accounts for more than 90% of the world’s Scotch whiskey.
From the many Highland and Speyside malts, through the peaty Island malts, and the softer and lighter Lowland malts, the blender may pick from a broad range of flavors.
Usually, 60-80 percent grain whiskies to 20-40 percent malt whiskies mix with these malts, and brewers allow them to “marry” in barrels before they bottle them as one of the world-renowned blended whiskies.
Brewers make blended malts out of a variety of malt whiskies, but they avoid grain whiskey.
Scotch whisky’s history encompasses more than just the distillation process; it also includes the history of Scotland and its people. And, the same rule applies to the long history of American whiskey.
Elevation in Drinking Whiskey: Explaining the Process
Becoming a whiskey connoisseur requires learning more about the origin story of whiskey, and how great brewers are able to create this ambrosia and maintain the same level of quality over the years.
Hopefully, our guide has shed some light on the intricacies of whiskey production. And, if you liked reading our article, then you’ll love checking out our other explainers and advice. All of them (and much more) are available on our website.
