BE406 Whiskey Production: A Comparison With Beer Production

� The invention of the thermometer and hydrometer in the 19 th century,
improved quality control, with regards to increasing efficiency and
attenuation.
� In 1817, Daniel Wheeler invented the drum roaster allowed for the creation of
very dark, roasted malts, contributing to the flavour of porters and stouts.
� In 1857 Louis Pasteur discovered the role of yeast in fermentation. This gave
more control in preventing the souring of beer by undesirable microorganisms.
� In the1950s, Morton Coutts developed the technique of continuous
fermentation. This process revolutionised the industry. During the continuous
brewing process materials are added to one end of the system and
continuously withdrawn from the other end. The standard system for brewing
beer had ingredients put in together and then after a period of time (15 weeks)
the brewed beer is removed and bottled altogether at the same time. This
process is still used by many of the world's major breweries today, including
Guinness.
� The Process of Whiskey Production
The production of whiskey as a process is actually is quite simple. The most
important part in making whiskey is the three main ingredients; Malted barley, water,
and yeast. These ingredients undergo a process, which consists of five major steps, to
produce whiskey. The steps are as follows; Step 1: Malting, Step 2: Mashing, Step
3: Fermentation, Step 4: Distillation, and Step 5: Maturation. We will now look at
each step individually to show practices involved in modern whiskey production.
• Step 1: Malting
Malting is the first step in whiskey production and it is a step that is made up
of many smaller steps. It usually takes up to 5 - 7 days. The object of malting is to
develop Enzymes from the barley and modify the starch present in the grain into
fermentable sugars. First off the barley is collected from the fields, dried and stored.
The drying and storage of barley is an important process in itself, as the moisture
content must be lowered to prevent the germination of the seeds. This is very
important in the likes of Ireland as the field barley tends be typically high in moisture.
The barley, on intake, is dried for 2~3 hours at an air temperature no higher than
52°C. The barley can then be stored at 25°C for 1-2weeks in an airtight silo or
concrete bunker. For long term storage the temperature must be lowered to about
4