mash tun

[georgiabooze]

Why, would you require a mash tun to make whiskey?

[Robert Cassell]

Is this a trick question on terminology??? Are you comparing a mash vessel to a mash tun? How else do you plan to combined your milled grains and water, then cool then (HX) pre yeast pitch?

[absaroka]

edit: long day.... Paul's response is much better than mine.

[Paul G]

To make whisky:

(assuming all malted grains)

1) mill the grain to expose the starches while leaving the husks intact

2) combine grain and hot water to "mash" the grains - industry term for converting the starches into fermentable sugars.

3) (optional) drain the sweet wash (called "wort" in beer brewing) from the grains (this is called "lautering")

4) cool your wash

5) pitch your yeast

6) allow it to ferment

7) distill

8) age in oak barrels

So, to answer your question, you need a mash tun to mash in (where step 2 occurs)

To answer the unasked question, you would need a lauter tun for step 3.

That's the quick and dirty...there's a whole bunch of minutiae about each step, but that's the basics.

[georgiabooze]

To make whisky:

(assuming all malted grains)

1) mill the grain to expose the starches while leaving the husks intact

2) combine grain and hot water to "mash" the grains - industry term for converting the starches into fermentable sugars.

3) (optional) drain the sweet wash (called "wort" in beer brewing) from the grains (this is called "lautering")

4) cool your wash

5) pitch your yeast

6) allow it to ferment

7) distill

8) age in oak barrels

So, to answer your question, you need a mash tun to mash in (where step 2 occurs)

To answer the unasked question, you would need a lauter tun for step 3.

That's the quick and dirty...there's a whole bunch of minutiae about each step, but that's the basics.

It seems that you are saying that seperating the grains from the liquid, is very important. What about in a bourbon or corn whiskey, or rye?

[Paul G]

It does?

"Optional" implies it's not important.

[Jonathan Forester]

I'd say optional means more like, there are several ways to do the process. each will give different results.

It does?

"Optional" implies it's not important.

[Tom's Foolery]

To make whisky:

(assuming all malted grains)

1) mill the grain to expose the starches while leaving the husks intact

2) combine grain and hot water to "mash" the grains - industry term for converting the starches into fermentable sugars.

3) (optional) drain the sweet wash (called "wort" in beer brewing) from the grains (this is called "lautering")

4) cool your wash

5) pitch your yeast

6) allow it to ferment

7) distill

8) age in oak barrels

What is the extra step if using some grains that are not malted, and does it require a separate tank or tun? Or can it be done in the same vessels as the mashing?

[ckrogstad]

What is the extra step if using some grains that are not malted, and does it require a separate tank or tun? Or can it be done in the same vessels as the mashing?

I think there should be a new topic: "Recommended Books on Brewing and Distilling"

I like:

Malting and Brewing Science, by Briggs, Hough, Stevens and Young (Chapman & Hall, 1981)

for Old School, A Textbook of Brewing by De Clerk (Chapman & Hall, 1957)

and The Alcohol Textbook by Jacques, Lyons and Kelsall (Nottingham University Press, 1995)

[Jester]

To make whisky:

(assuming all malted grains)

1) mill the grain to expose the starches while leaving the husks intact

2) combine grain and hot water to "mash" the grains - industry term for converting the starches into fermentable sugars.

3) (optional) drain the sweet wash (called "wort" in beer brewing) from the grains (this is called "lautering")

4) cool your wash

5) pitch your yeast

6) allow it to ferment

7) distill

8) age in oak barrels

So, to answer your question, you need a mash tun to mash in (where step 2 occurs)

To answer the unasked question, you would need a lauter tun for step 3.

That's the quick and dirty...there's a whole bunch of minutiae about each step, but that's the basics.

Paul,

well said, the mash tun and lautering tank can easily be the same tank though. some call it the reactor and have a stirrer of some effect, some have an open design that the hand stir, optional is very accurate. it comes down to preference and equipment currently available. If you still doesn't have a stirrer, you would want to lauter if you are using whole grains. if you have a closed reactor and a stirrer in your still, you may decide to contend with the grains on the tail end of things. too many choices...but fun though.

In great spirits,

Jester

[Paul G]

What is the extra step if using some grains that are not malted, and does it require a separate tank or tun? Or can it be done in the same vessels as the mashing?

Door number 2, Monty

Yes, the unmalted grains would be processed during mashing. This would either utilize the naturally occurring enzymes from the malt, or augmented with additional enzymes added during the mash process. Not unlike how adjuncts are handled in beer brewing.

[delaware_phoenix]

I was reading the history of Scotch and Irish whiskey in the Alcohol Textbook and it mentions that Irish law allows the use of malt enzymes while Scottish regulations do not. Of course, we're here in the US and A and can do otherwise, but each distiller has to decide how closely to tradition (and what tradition) they want to follow.