Certified Scotch Professional Flashcards
Certified Scotch Professional study cards for the CSP exam through the Council of Whisky Masters
Other than producing the spirit, name a use of water in the distillery.
- Cooling the condensers
- Reducing the spirit
- Cleaning the plant
Why might someone argue hard water is better for producing Scotch whisky?
Hard water may impart spiciness from the minerals in the water
Why might someone argue soft water is better for producing Scotch whisky?
Soft water is a better solvent and is capable of extracting more from the malt
How does water temperature affect the flavor of the spirit?
The temperature of the water in the condenser affects how long the vapor will be in contact with the copper
Since copper is a purifier and warmer water causes it to take longer for the vapour to liquify, the extended copper contact creates a purer and lighter spirit
Colder water will do the opposite and will yield a heavier, more “traditional” spirit
What does aqua vitae mean?
“Water of life”
What is uisge beatha?
Gaelic for whisky
(pronunciation: ooshkie bayahah)
* abbreviated to uishkie in 17th century and whiskie by 1715
* The spelling whisky first appeared in 1736
What is sgailc?
Bumper of spirits taken before breakfast/a morning dram
Puritan parliament imposed tax on Scotch whisky in ____ (year).
1644
- Done to raise money for the army
True/False: most distillates in the early days were made for medicines and perfumes.
True
Who is known as the “Father of distilling”?
Arnaldus de Villa Nova
*13th century Moorish scholar
In what year was the first record of distilled spirit in Scotland?
1494
- “To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aquavitae, VIII bolls of malt”
During mashing, amalyse converts dextrin into what?
Maltose
*Maltose is a soluble sugar
What is a washback?
Fermentation vessel
What are flails?
Brooms
What is a hundredweight?
50 kg
What is a strike point?
Optimum heat at which enzymes will break down the starch
- 63-64ºC (147ºF)
What is draff?
Husks and spent grain from the bottom of the mash tun
*Used for cattle feed
What is wet draff?
Draff sent directly to farmers
What are foreshots?
Early runnings of the distillate
What are feints/aftershots?
Late runnings of the distillate
What is the cut?
Middle of the running
What is a spirit safe?
Brass-bound glass-fronted box
What is spent lees?
The later part of the second distillation joins the early part in the low wines and feints receiver to undergo re-distillation, and the still is then run down to 1% ABV
*this ends up as waste
What is clearic?
“New-make-spirit”
spirit before ageing
What are American Standard Barrels?
“After-Bouron Barrels”
180-200L capacity
What is a dump-hogshead?
Remade hogshead with a capacity of 55 gallons / 250L
- Also called “re-made hogshead” or “hogshead”
What are shooks?
American Standard Barrels are transported as these bundles of staves, then reassembled in Scotland with new heads
What are ex-sherry casks? (puncheons and butts)
110 gallons / 500L barrels
*Sherry butts are taller and more narrow than puncheons
What is first-fill?
The first time a cask is filled with Scotch Whisky
What is refill cask?
A cask that has previously been filled with Scotch Whisky
What is an Angel’s share?
The 2% of the whisky that evaporates each year
What happens if the grist is too fine?
The mash tun will not drain quickly enough
What happens if the grist is too coarse?
The liquor will drain too fast and maximum extraction cannot occur
A washback is typically made of what material(s)?
Pine or stainless steel
- Pine can be larch or Oregon pine/Douglas fir
- Oregon pine/Douglas fir is preferred, as it grows tall and has a fine grain with few knots
True/False: Whisky fermentation is non-sterile
True
Describe the character of a spirit fermented from a wash that has been fermented for 2 days.
Malty and cereal-like
Describe the character of a spirit fermented from a wash that has been fermented over 60 hours.
Complex, fruity, and floral
Through the second run, feints (increase/decrease) while esters (increase/decrease).
Feints increase while esters decrease
*Feints are biscuit-y, then go through a honey phase, then rapidly deteriorate into sweat and stale fish aromas
Organo-(nitrogen/sulphur) compounds are the acceptable feints.
Organo-nitrogen
What did the Illicit Distillation Act (1822) accomplish?
It abolished the Highland/Lowland distinction
*The Small Stills Act was introduced in 1816 and lead to the abolition of the Highland Line
Gorda cask size.
130 gallons / 600 litres
- “bodega butt”
Pipe cask size.
110 gallons / 500 litres
- formerly used for maturing port
Puncheon cask size.
120 gallons / 545 litres
Butt cask size.
110 gallons / 500 litres
*formerly used for maturing sherry
Dump Puncheon cask size.
100 gallons / 460 litres
Hogshead cask size.
55 gallons / 250 litres
- The most common cask for whisky
- Also named “re-made hogshead” or “dump hogshead”
“Barrel” cask size.
40 gallons / 180 litres
- Usually referred to as “American Barrel”
Kinderkin cask size.
18 gallons / 82 litres
- In old Scots, “Kinken”
Quarter cask size.
9-10 gallons / approx. 45 litres
- Also called “Firkin”
Anker cask size.
8-10 gallons / approx. 45 litres
Octave cask size.
5 gallons / 22.5 litres
Wash Act (1784).
Drew a national line diagonally across Scotland, the “Highland Line”, which ran from the First of Clyde on the west coast to the Firth of Tray on the east coast
- William Pitt’s Wash Act
- William Pitt became prime minister in 1783
This producer pioneered “sherry-finishing” in the North Highlands.
Glenmorangie
What is a Dark Plains Plant?
Where draff is sent if it is to be dried and compressed into “cattle-cake”
Name the raw materials of Scotch Whisky production.
Water, yeast, malted barley
Name the three main parts of production that must happen prior to maturation.
Mashing, fermentation, distillation
Many argue soft, peaty water is best for Scotch Whisky production because of ______.
The combined content of carbon dioxide and the presence of acid-producing bacteria from the peat.
- Water’s capacity to dissolve solubles is enhanced if it contains carbon dioxide.
How does granite affect water?
Granite is so hard it will not impart any minerals to water running through it
Name a distillery that uses hard water.
Glenmorangie, Glenkinchie, Highland Park
Calcium, magnesium, and zinc are essential for good fermentation; if soft water is used, how can these be obtained?
Through the malt itself
Is distilled water used in whisky production?
No, soft water is almost as pure as distilled water
Water in the ______ (region) is especially soft.
Highlands
Where is peaty water mostly used?
Islay
Barley is graded on a scale of ______-______.
1-9
- The top three grades are suitable for malting
- The top three grades have the capacity to germinate and grow
Quality barley for Scotch Whiskey production has a (low/high) starch content.
High
- High starch = high sugar = high alcohol potential
Quality barley for Scotch Whiskey production has (low/high) protein content.
Low, less than 1.5%
- Higher protein = lower starch
Quality barley for Scotch Whiskey production has (low/high) nitrogen content.
Low, less than 1.7%
- High nitrogen indicates high protein
- Nitrogen is an active ingredient in fertilizers
True/False: quality barley must be easy to mill and mash because some varieties become glue-like in the must-tun.
True
Barley will likely go moldy with more than ______% moisture.
16%
- This is not as much of a problem today as most barley is artificially dried.
True/False: most barley today is artificially dried.
True
In what ways is barley purchased?
- Direct from farmers
- On the “spot market”
- By specifying to a grain merchant exactly what is required
- The 1st guarantees tonnage, but not quality
- The 2nd gives access to the pick of the crop, but can be volatile
- The 3rd is the most common
Where is barley for Scotch Whisky produced?
Scotland (75%)
England (15%)
Oversees; France and Denmark (10%)
*Distillers tend to prefer Scottish barley
What type of soil conditions yields quality barley?
Poor soils
- Low yield and high quality
How does cold weather benefit barley production in terms of sustainability?
Cold winters kill bugs, so there is less need for pesticides
How may long northern sunlight hours affect barley production?
The long daylight hours help concentrate flavors
The UK is divided into 5 barley regions, name them.
Northwest (including Northern Ireland and North Wales), Northeast, Central, Southwest, and Southeast
What is the most popular barley variety today?
Laureate
- Yields up to 420 litres alcohol per tonne
Why might some producers prefer Golden Promise over Laureate?
Golden Promise yields a richer, more oily spirit and some smaller distilleries are increasing the demand, even at the expense of yield
Yeast is pitched at what percent of the weight of the malt mashed?
- 2%
* ex. a typical mash of 8 tonnes will take about 175 kg yeast
How is the foam in a washback broken up today?
Modern wash backs are fitted with mechanical switchers to break the foam and stop it from overflowing
Congeners include ______.
Esters, aldehydes, acids, and higher alcohols
Name the two parts of barley.
Embryo and endosperm
What is the embryo of barley?
Living structure that will grow into a new plant
What is the endosperm of barley?
Store of starch that will feed the young plant until it can fend for itself
Name the steps of the malting process.
Steeping, germination, kilning
In simple terms, what is malting?
Controlled germination
- The process is essentially to progress germination to a point where the cell walls have broken down, but before the starch begins to be used by the growing plant
- The growth is stopped by drying the “green malt” (after it has germinated) in a kiln
Barley requires ______% moisture for the enzymes to be activated.
46%
- The enzymes are amylase and cytase
How is barley steeped?
It is first cleaned, then immersed in water 3 times.
- This lasts 2-3 days
- The time length depends on the nitrogen level, temperature of the water, the ambient temperature, the size of the grains and their absorption capacity
How would you fix over-steeped and under-steep grains?
Over-steeped grains can be dried by a tumble drying process
Under-steeped grains can be sprayed, but this leads to uneven uptake
The barley seed produces enzymes during what part of the malting process?
Germination
What does cytase do?
Breaks down the cell walls and makes the starch accessible for growth
What does amylase do?
Converts the starch into its soluble form, dextrin
- During the mashing process, amylase converts dextrin into maltose
Why does germinating barley need to be turned?
When the grain sprouts, it creates heat. The roots can slo get tangled.
- This process is called “turning the piece” and lasts about 1 week
What is “modification”?
Spreading out the grain more and more until the rootlets begin to wither and the green malt becomes mealy
- If the grain is chalky and smooth, it is ready
Name a distillery that has its own floor malting.
- 2 of them produce 100% of their own needs.
Bowmore, Laphroaig, Balvenie, and Highland Park produce 10-20% of their needs
Springbank and Glen Ord produce 100% of their own needs
What are the benefits of having your own floor maltings?
This allows for greater control of the flavor sought
- The process is slower and more natural
- The process does not force germination
- The process is labor intensive and limits the amount of malt that can be made at a time
What is a pneumatic malting system?
Each rotary drum is charged with damp grain from the steeps, then turned by gravity as the drum rotate. Humidity and temperature are controlled by internal sprays and by blowing air through the grain.
- This way the batch size can be greatly increased
- SGKVs were invented in the 1970s at Moray Firth Maltings
There are two pneumatic malting systems operating today, name one.
Rotary Drums
Steep, Germinating and Kilnking Vessles (SGKVs)