Whisky production Flashcards
What are the three main sources of flavour in whisky production
-The raw materials (Water, malted barley and yeast)
-The production process (Mashing, fermenting and distilling)
-Maturation
What kind of difference to flavour is water said to make
Little to none in comparison to the other factors if it is pure water
Where does water have the most impact in whisky production
During fermentation as its main influence is on the yield of the whisky
How may water impact the flavour of a whisky and during what process
Water can increase the yield of the whisky however the increased yield can make the resulting whisky less flavoursome
Water is preferable with what kind of pH
A high pH as soft water is a better solvent than hard water
What are the benefits of soft water during mashing
It is a better solvent and extracts more from the malt during mashing
Why might one be so inclined to believe that peaty water is better than just soft water
Peaty water contains carbon dioxide and acid producing bacteria from the peat which means its capacity to dissolve solubles in enhanced
what is the most important commonly regarded factor that is controlled by water
Purity as it is imperative that it be pure of organic and mineral impurity
How many scotch distilleries use distilled water and what are some of their methods of treating water
None, their means of treating water is to use UV light to kill any harmful bacteria such as ecoli
what two large factors influence the placement of a distillery regarding water
Its volume and temperature
how does water temperature affect the spirit in the cooling tubes after being distilled
Warmer water in the worm tubs mean that the vapours take longer to condense and liquify so there’s more contact with the copper so the spirit is lighter and purer
If a distiller wants a heavier more traditional spirit then why might the water be cooler in the worm tubs when cooling the copper coils
Colder water means that the vapours condense quicker and liquify faster so there’s less contact with the copper producing a heavier more ‘traditional’ spirit
In what months are most distilleries generally the most productive and which season do most distilleries time their ‘silent season’ for
Traditionally distilling is a winter activity and the silent seasons are usually when water levels are lower during July and August (the summer months)
How is barley graded
On a scale of 1 to 9 with only the top three grades being suitable for malting
Of barley grades 1 to 9 only the top three grades are suitable for malting and whisky producing, what percentage of barley is this?
around the top 20% of barley
how is quality defined in barley by Maltsters
-High starch content
-Low protein content
-Low nitrogen content
-High likely hood of germination
-easy to process
-well ripened
Why is it better suited for barley to have a high starch content
The starch is what is converted into sugar and then alcohol so higher starch yeilds higher alcohol
Why is it better suited for barley to have low protein content for whisky
higher protein would mean less starch so less protein means that there is more starch
Why is low nitrogen suited for barley used for whisky
high nitrogen is indicative of high protein which is not suited to barley as it means there is less starch
Why is it difficult for farmers to keep nitrogen low in their barley
nitrogen is the key ingredient of many fertilisers which are used to achieve a high yield, so farmers are forced to not over use fertilisers otherwise the barley becomes unsuitable for whisky
why is the high likely hood of germination an important factor of barley grown for whisky
Germination is a pre-requites for malting so it is essential that the barley is able to germinate
Why is it important that the barley is easy to process for whisky
It needs to be processed quite heavily in the mill and mash and not become glue-like as some varieties can
why is it important for whisky barley to be well-ripened, plump and dry
farmers are often told to leave the crop until its absolutely ripe and cannot wait any longer then leave it for 3 days because barley with moisture greater than 16 will go mouldy in storage (although this is now less of an issue with artificial drying)
why do distillers buy malt from scotland, the UK and abroad
To spread the risk of bad local harvests