How to Make Whiskey

Whiskey, also spelled as whisky, is an alcoholic beverage made from grains. It can be made from different grains like wheat, corn, rye, barley, etc. To age the whiskey wooden casks are used. These casks are made normally from white oak. Apart from the whiskey made from corn or maize, all other whiskey types are aged. Whiskey is one of the strictly regulated spirits all around the world. Although there are different types of whiskey, there are certain points which unifies all of them together. These points are fermentation of grains, distillation of the beverage to less than 95% alcohol and aging in wood caskets. Although one can buy the best whiskey in the market, nothing beats the taste of the whiskey made at home.

How to Make Whiskey at Home

Making whiskey can be an absolutely great experience. The idea of making whiskey has an old tradition. It dates back to the time, when farmers, etc. made their own whiskey. The beauty of making whiskey lies in the way home distilling is done using the all natural process of evaporating a liquid into a vapor and then condensing it back to the liquid form. The process is similar to the process used by nature to make rain.

How to Make Corn Whiskey

Ingredients

• 10 lbs. of corn kernels
• 1 cup Champagne yeast starter
• 5 gallons of water
• Burlap bag
• Fermenter
• Pillow case

Method

• The corn kernels you use to make whiskey should be whole kernels which are untreated.
• Put the corn kernels in a burlap bag.
• Now run warm water on the burlap and wet the burlap completely.
• Keep the bag in a place which is warm, but away from light. It is important that the bag is placed in a dark room. Leave the bag in the said place for 10 days.
• After 10 days check the bag. If corn sprouts have emerged from the bag, which are at least ¼ inches in length, go to the next step.
• Else leave the bag in the same place, till you see the sprouts come out.
• After the sprouts have come out, remove the corn and place it into a tub of water
• The next step can be a little tedious as you will have to remove all the sprouts and roots from the kernels. You will have to rub the kernels for the same.
• After removing the sprouts and roots place the corn in the fermenter.
• Using a pole, mash the kernels thoroughly till the kernels are cracked. You can make use of a pole for the same.
• Boil the water to a rolling boil. Now add the boiling water to the mash and let it cool down completely.
• After the water cools down completely, add the yeast to the corn kernels.
• Now is the time to seal the fermenter, but make sure you have a vent, which is sealed with water.
• Keep the liquid in a warm dark place again.
• Leave it there for 10 to 12 days.
• After which you will use a pillowcase to strain the liquid and remove any solid from the liquid.

How to Make Rye - Barley Whiskey

Ingredients

• 7 lbs. Rye
• 2 lbs. Barley
• 1 lbs. Malt
• 3 gm Yeast
• 1 gm Ammonium-fluoride
• 6 gallons Water

Method

• Bring the water to a rolling boil.
• When the water boils add rye, barley and malt to the water.
• Turn on the heat, such that the temperature will rise by 5 degrees every 2 minutes as you continue to stir the mixture.
• Keep the temperature stable at 160 degrees, as you continue to stir constantly for 2-3 hours. This process will convert starch into fermentable sugar and dextrin.
• Use any filtration device to filter the liquid.
• Then pour the liquid into the fermentation device.
• Let the liquid cool down to 70-80 degrees.
• Then add yeast to the liquid.
• Subsequently add ammonium-fluoride. Adding ammonium-fluoride will make sure there is no secondary fermentation & contamination.
• After adding yeast and ammonium-fluoride, stir well for a couple of minutes.
• Now cover the liquid and seal with an airlock.
• It will take about 7 to 9 days to ferment.
• After fermentation process is complete, filter the liquid through a pillow case to remove all solids.

If you are fond of sour whiskey you will ask how to make sour whiskey. You will have to use the sour mix for the same. The process mentioned in this article on how to make whiskey is the general procedure. You can also let the whiskey ferment for longer, according to your taste.