Damn Good Whiskey is a recipe that does not require cooking. It is simple to prepare and can be fermented in the same container that was used to make the mash. Ingredients are readily available at local grocer, brew shops and online.
Ingredients:
- Liquid Malt Extract (Unhopped), 1 can (~3.3 Lbs\1.5 kg)
- Sugar, 5 Lbs (2.27 kg)
- Yeast (Refer to manufacturer’s recommendations for quantity)
- Water (~19 L)
Equipment:
- Mash Tun (Fermentation Container): 6 Gallon food grade plastic bucket, 6 gallon glass carboy, copper barrel, etc.
Note: Do not use an aluminum container to make your mash!
Directions:
- Add Liquid Malt Extract to 5 gallons of clean fresh warm water. Note: We are not going to boil this mixture. Boiling can reduce the amount of fermentable sugars available.
- Add 5 lbs. of white sugar to the malt and warm water mixture. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Let the mixture cool until it is below 86º F\30º C. If the water is too hot it could kill the yeast. Once the correct temperature has been achieved, pitch in the yeast. Refer to the manufacturer recommendation for the quantity of yeast to add to your mash.
Cover the mash tun with cheese cloth or a fermentation bung if using a carboy. This will prevent particle and bugs from getting into the fermenting mash. CO2 will be produced during the fermentation process so make sure the mash tun is located in a well ventilated area. Fermentation will take approximately 4 days.
I did not use the liquid malt extract and I am looking for some ideas on how mash can be made in my 5 gallon plastic paint bucket. I used wheat from the feed store and washed it and then sprouted it which took 2-3 days. I roasted it for one hour at 325 degrees as I read 340 degrees is top temp for that. It was about a gallon measure of wheat grain. I start it with 2 cups sugar and two tablespoons proofed yeast and mis it in then sprinkle another 1-2 tablespoons of dry yeast on top so I can see it bubble up thickly, on top. I every day check to see if it is bubblling and cup out a few quarst and reheat on the stove to about 110 degrees to warm it and then stir in 3/4 cup a surgar to each quart, I taste the mash so it is not too sweet with sugar. I have tried an aquarium warmer and just adding sugar but it does not work like putting it back on the stove by hand. I say, thanks for the information and my best mash is probably 5- 10% , but I don’t know.
where’s the cornmeal,lol,it is an ok drink as it is but seriously think it needs 2.5 lb. of cornmeal (and it should be bolied 20 min before adding other ingred and allowed to cool before pithched yeast is added.)personally learning extracts and essense’ has allowed me the way too Damn Good Whiskey,this allows quicker aging and no oak barrels needed,lol
Could you substitute dry malt in place of the liquid malt?
Avoid anything called Turbo or Super or promising high yield or fast ferments. I’d suggest a yeast like US-05 or Burton. Even baker’s is good (Red Star, Fleischmanns, etc). Keep your fermenter between 65-75F. Let sit several days afetr finished to let the yeast reabsorb some nasties out of the wash.
if i use corn syrup and no sugar will that be fine and if yes will that add more flavor?
After fermentation is completed the process is done and is ready to drink?
You have to distill the ferment next.
http://howtomakewhiskeyhq.com/how-to-make-whiskey-step-by-step/
how much yeast should be used to make a fairly strong whiskey?
The alcohol content of the fermented mash will be determined mainly by the fermentable sugars available to the yeast. Also, the yeast will die as the alcohol content increases. This is why you can’t get above 15%-20% alcohol. How much yeast to use? Well, that depends on the yeast. For example, with Alcotec 24-hour Turbo Yeast they suggest 4.64 kg for a 1000-liter fermentation (46 grams per ~2.6 gallons). Superyeast says 4 oz. Makes 6.5 gallons of up to 20% alcohol base in ten days.
Yeast selection is part of the craft brewers art. We select different yeasts for the particular application. Some yeasts impart interesting flavors while other do better at lower Ph. So, try one out, take notes, evaluate.
Here are links to the products mentioned above…
The recipe calls for warm water to dissolve the sugar but not to boil.. Should the water be around 100 deg Fahrenheit when adding the malt and sugar?
Also I use a 5gal tun.. could I just use little less malt or same amount.. 4lbs of sugar and 4 gallons of water with a pack of yeast and everything still be ok?
The temp of the water is really just to help dissolve the sugar. The hotter the water the longer you will have to wait for it to cool to pitch the yeast.
For this recipe the ratio of sugar to water is 1 lbs sugar to 1 gallon of water. So your mixture should work just fine.
You wouldn’t want to use more sugar than the ratio described above because it would be a waste of sugar. The alcohol that the yeast makes will eventually kill them as the percent of alcohol rises.