ARTICLE I.
_To Mash Rye in the common mode._
Take four gallons cold water to each hogshead, add one gallon malt, stir
it well with your mashing stick, until the malt is thoroughly wet--when
your still boils, put in about sixteen gallons boiling water, then put
in one and an half bushels of chopped rye, stirring it effectually,
until there is no lumps in it, then cover it close until the still
boils, then put in each hogshead, three buckets or twelve gallons
boiling water, stirring it well at the same time--cover it close--stir
it at intervals until you perceive your rye is scalded enough, which you
will know by putting in your mashing stick, and lifting thereon some of
the scalded rye, you will perceive the heart or seed of the rye, like a
grain of timothy seed sticking to the stick, and no appearance of mush,
when I presume it will be sufficiently scalded--it must then be stirred
until the water is cold enough to cool off, or you may add one bucket or
four gallons of cold water to each hogshead, to stop the scalding.
I have known this process succeed well with an attentive distiller.
ART. II.
_The best method of distilling Rye._
Take four gallons boiling, and two gallons cold water--put it into a
hogshead, then stir in one and a half bushels chopped rye, let it stand
five minutes, then add two gallons cold water, and one gallon malt,
stir it effectually--let it stand till your still boils, then add
sixteen gallons boiling water, stirring it well, or until you break all
the lumps--then put into each hogshead, so prepared, one pint coarse
salt, and one shovel full of hot coals out of your furnace. (The coals
and salt have a tendency to absorb all sourness and bad smell, that may
be in the hogshead or grain;) if there be a small quantity of hot ashes
in the coals, it is an improvement--stir your hogsheads effectually
every fifteen minutes, keeping them close covered until you perceive the
grain scalded enough--when you may uncover, if the above sixteen gallons
boiling water did not scald it sufficiently, water must be added until
scalded enough--as some water will scald quicker than others--it is
necessary to mark this attentively, and in mashing two or three times,
it may be correctly ascertained what quantity of the kind of water used
will scald effectually--after taking off the covers, they must be
stirred effectually, every fifteen minutes, till you cool off--for which
operation, see "_Cooling off._" To those who distill all rye, I
recommend this method, as I have found it to answer every kind of water,
with one or two exceptions.
Distillers will doubtless make experiments of the various modes
recommended and use that which may prove most advantageous and
convenient.
ART. III.
_To Mash two thirds Rye and one third Corn in Summer._
This I have found to be the nicest process belonging to distilling--the
small proportion of corn, and the large quantity of scalding water,
together with the easy scalding of rye, and the difficulty of scalding
corn, makes it no easy matter to exactly hit the scald of both; but as
some distillers continue to practice it, (altho' not a good method in my
mind, owing to the extreme nice attention necessary in performing it.)
In the following receipt I offer the best mode within my knowledge, and
which I deem the most beneficial, and in which I shew the process and
mode pursued by other distillers.
Take four gallons cold water, put it into a hogshead, then stir half a
bushel corn into it, let it stand uncovered thirty minutes, then add
sixteen gallons boiling water, stir it well, cover it close for fifteen
minutes, then put in your rye and malt and stir it until there be no
lumps, then cover it and stir it at intervals until your still boils,
then add, eight, twelve, or sixteen gallons boiling water, or such
quantity as you find from experience, to answer best--(but with most
water, twelve gallons will be found to answer) stirring it well every
fifteen minutes until you perceive it is scalded enough, then uncover
and stir it effectually until you cool off; keeping in mind always that
the more effectually you stir it, the more whiskey will be yielded. This
method I have found to answer best, however, I have known it to do very
well, by soaking the corn in the first place, with two gallons warm, and
two gallons cold water, instead of the four gallons of cold water,
mentioned above--others put in the rye, when all the boiling water is in
the hogshead, but I never found it to answer a good purpose, nor indeed
did I ever find much profit in distilling rye and corn in this
proportion.
ART. IV.
_To distill one half Rye and one half Corn._
This method of distilling equal quantities of rye and corn, is more in
practice, and is much better than to distill unequal proportions, for
reason you can scald your corn and rye to a certainty, and the produce
is equal if not more, and better whiskey, than all rye. The indian corn
is cheaper, and the seed is better than if all rye. I would recommend
this, as the smallest quantity of corn to be mixed with rye for
distillation, as being most productive, and profitable. The following
receipt I have found to answer all waters--yet there may be places where
the distiller cannot follow this receipt exactly, owing to hard or soft
water, (as it is generally termed) or hard flint or soft floury corn,
that will either scald too much or too little--but this the attentive
distiller will soon determine by experience.
Have your hogshead perfectly sweet, put into each, three gallons of cold
and three of boiling water, or more or less of each, as you find will
answer best--then stir in your corn--fill up your boiler, bring it
briskly to a boil--then put to each hogshead twelve gallons boiling
water, giving each hogshead one hundred stirs, with your mashing stick,
then cover close, fill up your boiler and keep a good fire under her, to
produce a speedy boil; before you add the last water, put into each
hogshead one pint of salt, and a shovel full of hot coals and ashes from
under your still, stir the salt and coals well, to mix it with your
corn, the coal will remove any bad smell which may be in the
hogshead--Should you find on trial, that rye don't scald enough, by
putting it in after your last water, you may in that case put in your
rye before the last water--but this should be ascertained from several
experiments. I have found it to answer best to put in the rye after all
the water is in the hogshead, especially if you always bring the still
briskly to a boil--then on your corn put twelve or sixteen gallons
boiling water, (for the last water,) then if you have not already mashed
in your rye, put it in with one gallon good malt to each hogshead,
carefully stirring it immediately very briskly, for fear of the water
loosing its heat, and until the lumps are all broken, which you will
discover by looking at your mashing stick; lumps generally stick to it.
When done stirring, cover the hogshead close for half an hour, then
stir it to ascertain whether your grain be sufficiently scalded, and
when nearly scalded enough, uncover and stir steady until you have it
cool enough to stop scalding; when you see it is scalded enough, and by
stirring that the scalding is stopped, uncover your hogsheads, and stir
them effectually, every fifteen minutes, until they are fit to cool
off--remembering that sweet good yeast, clean sweet hogsheads, with this
mode of mashing carefully, will produce you a good turn out of your
grain. The quantity of corn and rye is generally two stroked half
bushels of each, and one gallon malt.
ART. V.
_To Mash one third Rye and two thirds Corn._
This I deem the most profitable mashing that a distiller can work, and
if he can get completely in the way of working corn and rye in this
proportion, he will find it the easiest process of mashing. That corn
has as much and as good whiskey as rye or any other grain, cannot be
disputed, and the slop or pot ale is much superior to that of any other
grain, for feeding or fattening either horned cattle or hogs--one gallon
of corn pot ale being esteemed worth three of rye, and cattle will
always eat it better--and moreover, corn is always from one to two
shillings per bushel cheaper than rye, and in many places much
plentier--so that by adopting this method and performing it well, the
distiller will find at the close of the year, it has advantages over all
other processes and mixtures of rye and corn, yielding more profit, and
sustaining the flock better. Hogs fatted on this pot ale, will be found
decidedly better than any fatted on the slops of any other kind of
mashing.
_Mash as follows._
Have sweet hogsheads, good yeast and clean water in your boiler; when
the water is sharp, warm, or half boiling, put into every hogshead you
mean to mash at the same time, six, eight or as many gallons of the half
boiling water, as will completely wet one bushel corn meal--add then
one bushel chopped corn, stir it with your mashing stick till your corn
is all wet; it is better to put in a less quantity of water first, and
so add as you may find necessary, until completely wet (be careful in
all mashings, that your mashing stick be clean), this is called soaking
the corn. Then fill up your boiler, bring her quickly to a boil, when
effectually boiling, put into every hogshead, twelve gallons boiling
water, stirring it well after putting in each bucket, until the lumps
are quite broken--cover the hogsheads close, after a complete
stirring--fill up your boiler, bring her quickly to boil for the last
mashing--stir the corn in the hogshead every fifteen minutes, till your
last water is boiling--put into each hogshead one pint salt, and a
shovel full of red hot coals, stirring it well--then put in each
hogshead sixteen gallons of boiling water, stir it well--cover it close
for twenty-five minutes--then put into each hogshead one half bushel rye
meal, and one gallon good chopped malt, stirring it until the lumps are
all broken, then cover it close, stir it every half hour, until you
perceive it sufficiently scalded--then uncover it and stir it as often
as your other business will permit, until ready to cool off.
In this and every other mashing you must use sweet vessels only and good
yeast, or your labor will be in vain; and in all kinds of mashing you
cannot stir too much.
ART. VI.
_To Mash Corn._
This is an unprofitable and unproductive mode of mashing, but there may
be some times when the distiller is out of rye, on account of the mill
being stopped, bad roads, bad weather, or some other cause; and to avoid
the necessity of feeding raw grain to the hogs or cattle, (presuming
every distillery to be depended on for supplying a stock of some kind,
and often as a great reliance for a large stock of cattle and hogs,) in
cold weather I have found it answer very well, but in warm weather it
will not do. Those who may be compelled then from the above causes, or
led to it by fancy, may try the following method. To one hogshead, put
twelve gallons boiling water, and one and an half bushels corn, stir it
well, then when your water boils, add twelve gallons more, (boiling
hot,) stir it well, and cover it close, until the still boils the third
time, then put in each hogshead, one quart of salt, and sixteen gallons
boiling water, stir it effectually, cover it close until you perceive it
nearly scalded enough, then put in two, or three gallons cold water, (as
you will find to answer best,) and two gallons malt, or more if it can
be spared--stir it well, then cover it for half an hour, then uncover
and stir it well, until cold enough to cool off.
ART. VII.
_To make four gallons from the bushel._
This is a method of mashing that I much approve of, and recommend to all
whiskey distillers to try it--it is easy in process, and is very little
more trouble than the common method, and may be done in every way of
mashing, as well with corn or rye, as also a mixture of each, for eight
months in the year; and for the other four is worth the trouble of
following. I do not mean to say that the quantity of four gallons can be
made at an average, in every distillery, with every sort of grain, and
water, or during every vicissitude of weather, and by every distiller,
but this far I will venture to say, that a still house that is kept in
complete order, with good water, grain well chopped, good malt, hops,
and above all good yeast; together with an apt, careful and industrious
distiller, cannot fail to produce at an average for eight months in the
year, three and three quarter gallons from the bushel at a moderate
calculation. I have known it sometimes produce four and an half gallons
to the bushel, for two or three days, and sometimes for as many weeks,
when perhaps, the third or fourth day, or week, it would scarcely yield
three gallons; a change we must account for, in a change of weather, the
water or the neglect or ignorance of the distiller. For instance, we
know that four gallons of whiskey is in the bushel of rye or
corn--certain, that this quantity has been made from the bushel; then
why not always? Because, is the answer, there is something wrong, sour
yeast or hogsheads, neglect of duty in the distiller, change of grain,
or change of weather--then of course it is the duty of the distiller to
guard against all these causes as near as he can. The following method,
if it does not produce in every distillery the quantity above mentioned,
will certainly produce more whiskey from the bushel, than any other mode
I have ever known pursued.
Mash your grain in the method that you find will yield you most
whiskey--the day before you intend mashing, have a clean hogshead set in
a convenient part of the distillery; when your singling still is run
off, take the head off and fill her up with clean water, let her stand
half an hour, to let the thick part settle to the bottom, which it will
do when settled, dip out with a gallon or pail, and fill the clean
hogshead half full, let the hogshead stand until it cools a little, so
that when you fill it up with cool water, it will be about milk-warm,
then yeast it off with the yeast for making 4 gallons to the bushel,
then cover it close, and let it work or ferment until the day following,
when you are going to cool off; when the cold water is running into your
hogshead of mashed stuff, take the one third of this hogshead to every
hogshead, (the above being calculated for three hogsheads) to be mashed
every day, stirring the hogsheads well before you yeast them off. This
process is simple, and I flatter myself will be found worthy of the
trouble.
ART. VIII.
_To know when Grain is scalded enough._
Put your mashing stick into your hogshead and stir it round two or three
times gently, then lift it out and give it a gentle stroke on the edge
of your hogshead--if you perceive the batter or musky part fall off your
stick, and there remains the heart of the grain on your mashing stick,
like grains of timothy seed, then be assured that it is sufficiently
scalded, if not too much, this hint will suffice to the new beginner,
but experience and observation will enable the most correct judgment.
ART. IX.
_Directions for cooling off._
Much observation is necessary to enable the distiller to cool off with
judgment--which necessity is increased by the versatility of our
climate, the seasons of the year, and the kinds of water used. These
circumstances prevent a strict adherence to any particular or specific
mode; I however submit a few observations for the guidance of distillers
in this branch.--If in summer you go to cool off with cold spring water,
then of course the mashed stuff in your hogsheads must be much warmer,
than if you intended cooling off with creek or river water, both of
which are generally near milk warm, which is the proper heat for cooling
off--In summer a little cooler, and in winter a little warmer.
It will be found that a hogshead of mashed grain will always get warmer,
after it begins to work or ferment.
When the mashed stuff in your hogsheads is brought to a certain degree
of heat, by stirring, which in summer will feel sharp warm, or so warm,
that you can hardly bear your hand in it for any length of time, will do
for common water, but for very cold or very warm water to cool off with,
the stuff in the hogsheads must be left colder or warmer, as the
distiller may think most expedient, or to best suit the cooling off
water.
When you think it is time to cool off, have a trough or conveyance to
bring the water to your hogsheads ready--let the hogsheads be well
stirred, then let the water run into them slowly, stirring them all the
time the water is running in, until they are milk warm, then stop the
water, and after stirring them perfectly, put in the yeast and stir it
until completely incorporated with the mashed stuff, then cover your
hogshead until it begins to ferment or work, then uncover it.
ART. X.
_To ascertain when Rye works well in the Hogshead._
When mashed rye begins to work or ferment in the hogsheads, either in a
heavy, thick, or light bubbly top, both of which are unfavorable; when
it rises in a thick heavy top, you may be sure there is something wrong,
either in the grain, yeast, or cooling off. When the top (as called by
distillers) appear, with bubbles about the size of a nutmeg, rising and
falling alternately, with the top not too thick nor too thin, and with
the appearance of waves, mixed with the grain in the hogshead, rising
and falling in succession, and when you put your head over the steam,
and it flying into your nose, will have a suffocating effect, or when it
will instantly extinguish a candle when held over it, you may feel
assured, it is working well.
From these hints and the experience of the distiller, a judgment may be
formed of the state of fermentation and the quality.
ART. XI.
_To prevent Hogsheads from working over._
If the stuff is cooled off too warm, or too much yeast is put in the
hogsheads, they will work over, and of course lose a great deal of
spirit, to prevent which, take tallow and rub round the chine of the
hogsheads a little higher than they ought to work; it will generally
prevent them from rising any higher, but if they will work over in spite
of this remedy, then drop a little tallow into the stuff, it will
immediately sink the stuff to a proper height.