[Pseudo] Lincoln County Process

[SlickFloss]

Anyone ever played around with LCP or variations on it? We've been experimenting on some really silly greasy ferments we've been doing. 

 

We modified by using activated carbon, letting sit in tank in walk in for a few weeks stirring every other day, then filtering out. More literally like chill filtration I guess now that Im writing it. We've also used jumbo lump maple charcoal same process. Have also tried throwing some polishing DE in with both types of carbon. 

 

Pretty interesting results, definitely takes tons of flavor out of product, which depending on the individual batch could be good or bad!

 

Anyone else playing around like this? I am trying to build a "sock" for a 275 ss cube, which I imagine is more similar to how Jack is doing theirs. Idea being fill the cube with fresh coal. fill to top with new make spirit, let drain out the bottom using the sock to self filter carbon.

 

Random Question. Doesn't some carbon need exceptionally cold temperatures to activate its odor absorbing properties? If so, does the traditional LCP process utilize this chill? Or do they skip it?

 

Cheers

[JustAndy]

There is a pretty good description here, Dickel chills the whiskey to 40F and soaks the charcoal in spirit, at Jack it is not chilled and the whiskey filters via gravity through a big vat of it 

 

https://distiller.com/articles/lincoln-county-process

[Foreshot]

To me, and I am no historian, the LCP is about a primitive way to make what in essence is vodka before column stills and and not having to redistill several times. It allowed folks to make a mediocre distillate into something neutral. Then you dump it into a barrel to get flavor. You also pick up some flavor of the wood that was used to make the charcoal also. I had a discussion somewhere*, I think here, with someone and they had mentioned using different woods, including fruit, to give the distillate a minor essence of that fruit. I think for the LCP it allowed a more consistent flavor profile by reducing any flavors coming over from the distillate. At that point you're only dealing mostly with wood flavors. It makes the blender's job easier.

At this point in my speech about the LCP I normally start ranting about how most American spirits are about the barrel and not the distillate but I haven't had anything to drink tonight so I'll spare you that part...

 

*Found it:

 

[Foreshot]

So rereading this it sounds like I take a dim view of the LCP.* I don't. For the time when it was created it really was innovative. It helped create product consistency at a time that the science of fermentation wasn't very strong and the results were less than consistent. There's lot of opportunity to do something creative with it, just not that many have.

*It's not the LCP I take a dim view of - it's America's reliance on wood to create flavor. We should try to do more with the distillate. The wood should be an accent to the spirit, not the other way around.

[SlickFloss]

On 10/12/2021 at 3:43 PM, JustAndy said:

There is a pretty good description here, Dickel chills the whiskey to 40F and soaks the charcoal in spirit, at Jack it is not chilled and the whiskey filters via gravity through a big vat of it 

 

https://distiller.com/articles/lincoln-county-process

Big time appreciate you pointing me in this direction, cowboy!

[SlickFloss]

On 10/13/2021 at 7:14 PM, Foreshot said:

To me, and I am no historian, the LCP is about a primitive way to make what in essence is vodka before column stills and and not having to redistill several times. It allowed folks to make a mediocre distillate into something neutral. Then you dump it into a barrel to get flavor. You also pick up some flavor of the wood that was used to make the charcoal also. I had a discussion somewhere*, I think here, with someone and they had mentioned using different woods, including fruit, to give the distillate a minor essence of that fruit. I think for the LCP it allowed a more consistent flavor profile by reducing any flavors coming over from the distillate. At that point you're only dealing mostly with wood flavors. It makes the blender's job easier.

At this point in my speech about the LCP I normally start ranting about how most American spirits are about the barrel and not the distillate but I haven't had anything to drink tonight so I'll spare you that part...

 

*Found it:

 

In an effort to make it clear I am not trying to be pejorative or negative or tell you you're wrong I want to start out by saying I really enjoy your anecdotal references and I welcome the conversation on this topic, but I very much disagree with your opinion of the process.

      LCP was never intended to make a neutral grain, thats not functionally how activated carbon filtration and purification works, and well column stills were already invented and in use by the time the LCP (allegedly) was created or committed to. It is said that LCP was invented or committed to by JD in the 1830s. Aeneas Coffey had patented his Coffey still in 1830, and Fournier had already made the first continuous column all the way back in 1814. So high proof and high purity ethanol was already a thing by that point in time. I believe that the LCP came out of a need for distillers to be able to produce better cleaner whiskey despite having an incomplete knowledge of fermentation mechanics, yeast microbiology, and frankly sanitation technology. Distillers didn't have the resources to clean their copper pots like we do today with cheap and available citric acid. There wasn't automated temp correction on ferments.

     From one aspect of it to me, I believe they probably were looking for ways to mitigate some off tastes and smells and flavors, but they were probably also trying to filter out solids and just stumbled upon the taste benefits.

 

 

Again, not telling you you are wrong, just that I disagree. But I love the conversation. 

 

 

Cheers my man! If you're ever in Wisconsin look me up.

[Foreshot]

I think we're actually saying the same thing just you're saying it better. If I ever make up that way I will. If you're ever around Pittsburgh you're more than welcome to stop by. Tons of good food in the city as well a bunch of spirits/wine/beer.

[SlickFloss]

On 10/27/2021 at 2:30 PM, Foreshot said:

I think we're actually saying the same thing just you're saying it better. If I ever make up that way I will. If you're ever around Pittsburgh you're more than welcome to stop by. Tons of good food in the city as well a bunch of spirits/wine/beer.

Love Pittsburgh! I compete in bodybuilding and thats the home of bodybuilding! Pittsburgh pro is one of the best shows in the country Ill be out there again for it some time soon when covid calms down so you'll definitely be hearing from me!