Plated Columns & Whiskey
Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:13 pm
Now this could open up a can of worms, but we'll see where it takes us...
I have been very interested and conducting a lot of research lately into distilling different flavoured products through a bubbler, and would like to throw up a few points for conjecture.
As of late, a lot more people have been running bubblers at the hobby level and the standing seems to be that a single run through a 4 plated column with a boiler charge of an 8-10%ABV wash from the fermenter is the way to run most flavoured products. I'm going to focus specifically on both Whiskey and Whisky, but it applies to everything here.
Now the consensus used to be when running say a sour mash Whiskey for example, that you would strip each generation and build up a stock pile of low wines which you would then run through a pot still for a big long spirit run. Now we all know how well bubbler's are at producing high ABV and carrying through a lot of flavour, this single run method seems to be the preferred option.
Now there have been several conversations on distilling forums, and people tend to still agree that a malt Whisky still requires a stripping run followed by a spirit run on about 4 plates, but many favour the single run with a plated column for a bourbon/sour mash whiskey.
So here's a quote from the well known and read "Craft of Whiskey Distilling", put out by the American Distilling Institute (ADI).
I have also read in other sources that a lot of commercial distilleries on the smaller end of the scale, we'll call them "craft" distillers, do in fact utilise this method for a sour mash Whiskey...a method that I would assume is the equivalent of a triple distillation in a pot still?
My question is:
If commercial distilleries (craft distillers aiming for and achieving highly acclaimed spirits) have access to bubble plate columns, why do they still choose to use the strip run with a one plate spirit run?
And I personally don't think the throw away line that "they're not interested in cuts and quality, just profit" applies here. A lot that utilise this method are smaller distilleries who are known for their lower production and higher quality. One that I know of particularly is Tuthilltown Spirits and their "Hudson Whiskey"...yes they have grown in size a lot as of late, but they have always produced highly awarded spirits, and they use this particular method of distilling with their column. Also known for ageing in small barrels (5,10 & 15L) and playing bass in the barrel room to shake the whiskey into the wood grain.
So I guess what i'm saying in theory is...if we run like this, we expect it to be similar to a triple pot still distillation...a bit more smearing, and a bit more ageing of the product required...but then we say that with a plated column, we can half the ageing time from a pot still and we get flavour at high ABV...are we losing too much flavour?? Why don't they use their bubble plate columns and do a single run on 4 plates...?
Thanks for reading :handgestures-thumbupleft:
I have been very interested and conducting a lot of research lately into distilling different flavoured products through a bubbler, and would like to throw up a few points for conjecture.
As of late, a lot more people have been running bubblers at the hobby level and the standing seems to be that a single run through a 4 plated column with a boiler charge of an 8-10%ABV wash from the fermenter is the way to run most flavoured products. I'm going to focus specifically on both Whiskey and Whisky, but it applies to everything here.
Now the consensus used to be when running say a sour mash Whiskey for example, that you would strip each generation and build up a stock pile of low wines which you would then run through a pot still for a big long spirit run. Now we all know how well bubbler's are at producing high ABV and carrying through a lot of flavour, this single run method seems to be the preferred option.
Now there have been several conversations on distilling forums, and people tend to still agree that a malt Whisky still requires a stripping run followed by a spirit run on about 4 plates, but many favour the single run with a plated column for a bourbon/sour mash whiskey.
So here's a quote from the well known and read "Craft of Whiskey Distilling", put out by the American Distilling Institute (ADI).
American Distilling Institute http://www.distilling.com/PDF/craftbook.pdf wrote:Craft distillers don’t need a column still with two dozens of plates to make whiskey.
Visit any small whiskey distillery and you will see that most have a still without column and
plates. And, if they do have a column still, it will be used to make stripping runs with plates
open. Then they make heads and tails cuts on the second spirits run using one plate. Every
distillery works differently. The key is to make head tail cuts that save congeners (flavors)
that define the style of whiskey you are distilling.
I have also read in other sources that a lot of commercial distilleries on the smaller end of the scale, we'll call them "craft" distillers, do in fact utilise this method for a sour mash Whiskey...a method that I would assume is the equivalent of a triple distillation in a pot still?
My question is:
If commercial distilleries (craft distillers aiming for and achieving highly acclaimed spirits) have access to bubble plate columns, why do they still choose to use the strip run with a one plate spirit run?
And I personally don't think the throw away line that "they're not interested in cuts and quality, just profit" applies here. A lot that utilise this method are smaller distilleries who are known for their lower production and higher quality. One that I know of particularly is Tuthilltown Spirits and their "Hudson Whiskey"...yes they have grown in size a lot as of late, but they have always produced highly awarded spirits, and they use this particular method of distilling with their column. Also known for ageing in small barrels (5,10 & 15L) and playing bass in the barrel room to shake the whiskey into the wood grain.
So I guess what i'm saying in theory is...if we run like this, we expect it to be similar to a triple pot still distillation...a bit more smearing, and a bit more ageing of the product required...but then we say that with a plated column, we can half the ageing time from a pot still and we get flavour at high ABV...are we losing too much flavour?? Why don't they use their bubble plate columns and do a single run on 4 plates...?
Thanks for reading :handgestures-thumbupleft: