The foundation of any single malt Scotch whisky has always been barley. When Scotch was first produced, distilleries would often grow their own fields of barley, or bought it from nearby farms where it was grown. However, as the years have passed, the reliance on locally grown barley has greatly diminished and this special ingredient has become increasingly purchased in bulk and, in certain instances, even imported from overseas farms.
While you may have difficulty in trying to find a cheap whiskey still kit which includes high quality barley from Scotland, rest assured that there are a variety of barley types which will be more than adequate in your single malt whisky production.
However, the difference in barley varieties and methods used to grow this special crop is an important component of the entire single malt production process. Putting together a fantastic whiskey still kit and using barley that is subpar will of course yield a product which you won't be offering at your next cigar party. Indeed, just as several grape varieties are used in wine production, a number of barley varieties can be utilized in the distillation of single malt whisky. For instance, a variety known as "golden promise" has established a strong reputation, but several Scottish distillers have also successful experimented with varieties such as "optic" and "chariot." While any variety of barley can be used to produce malt whisky, there can never be any other type of grain involved in the production process. So if you're looking to buy whiskey still kit which includes mashes made from ingredients like maize, buckwheat, rye, you won't be producing single malt whiskey. Instead, there should only be one special ingredient added to the barley: water.
As part of the malting process, barley is soaked in water for 2 or 3 days, then spread out in order to foster germination. While the barley is germinating (a process which usually lasts approximately one week), enzymes are actively working to convert the starch within the barley into soluble sugars; these sugars will eventually be converted into alcohol as part of the distillation process. The barley is monitored until the green malt begins to sprout; when this occurs, the barley is dried in a kiln in order to halt the germination process. While drying the sprouting barley can be achieved in a variety of ways, an older and quite popular method involved the use of peat. Indeed, Islay malts would often derive a distinctly peaty character from the reek, also known as peat smoke, generated from the peat fumes. When you buy whiskey still kit, you may not have to endure the process of germination or have to work with a kiln to create the malt; however, it is important to understand the inner workings of this production to ensure that you are careful in acquiring high quality ingredients and tools.
Once the malt has been dried, it is then placed in the malt mill, which is a device used to grind the dried malt into a substance called "grist;" this is in preparation for a vital step in the process: the creation of the "mash." Once production reaches the mashing stage, hot water is then added to the "grist" in a large vessel called a "mash tun," (not something you'll find in an ordinary, cheap whiskey still kit) wherein the starch within the substance is further refined into fermentable sugars. Interestingly enough, mash tuns can be made of different components like wood, or even be substituted altogether with a stainless steel apparatus known as a "washback" (which will be the subject of a future article). Because of the importance of mash tuns and/or washbacks, which will likely come if you buy whiskey still kit that comes as a premium package, this step cannot be overlooked and its importance cannot be diminished. The product of this phase, our mash, will lead directly to the most interesting part of the process: distillation in our pot stills!
The liquid that's drained off as a result of time spent in the mash tun is known as the "wort." This liquid will pass through the fermentation process where its sugars are then converted into alcohol by the addition of yeast (never settle for a cheap whiskey still kit when preparing for the fermentation process: the results will speak for themselves).
Several varieties of yeast are used in a multitude of combinations to influence both the 'yield' and the quality of the final product. Regardless of the yeast chosen, the fermentation of the wort within our moonshine stills will eventually provide us with the highly coveted single malt whisky. However, the single malt process isn't entirely complete. The subsequent steps in this process will be the focus of our next article.
