How can I make my own whisky?!
How can I make my own whisky?
My friend and I have gotten interested in making our own whisky as a hobby. I was wondering if there are any good books, groups of hobbyist distillers and infromative sites around... Personal experiences are most welcome.
Answers: You will need a license if you are going to make more that a small amount. The ATF doesn't take kindly to moonshiners. AND... making a small amount of whiskey is not a good idea. To get the flavor associated with whiskey, it has to be aged in oak barrels. Unless you can find someone who will make tiny little oak barrels for you, you are better off just going to the liquor store. mmmmm.....whisky...... Legally, you can't. The making of distilled spirits is closely regulated by law and you can get into trouble doing it.
There is also a safety aspect, in that you are dealing with fire and alcohol... see the problem? Kaboom!
Technically, it's not a big deal. Any fermented liquid that you could drink and not die from is heated to just below boiling. Because alcohol turns into a vapor before water does, the steam is collected, recondensed, usually with cold water surrounding a pipe and collected.
Whiskey is then stored in charred oak barrels to flavor the raw alcohol and to allow some time for lighter components and aromatics to be driven off... the bad ones that give you eyepopping hangovers.
Check the laws. Beer and wine can be made legally. It's that distillation thing that'll getcha!
Best wishes! Assuming you're in a country where home distilling is legal (NOT the US) such as New Zealand, there is all the information you could possibly want and more here:
http://homedistiller.org
It has all the information from books, groups, links, personal experiences, instructions, recipes, etc.