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.

Next: To Know When Grain Is Scalded Enough
Previous: To Mash Corn

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