All Grain Distilling Mash Guide

All grain Distilling can be a little daunting with minimal information out there. We have put together a simple guide to making a wash with grain. We have aimed this towards distillers more than brewers. This guide would be suitable for 5-7kg of milled grain. This is a generic guide and should be changed to suit your individual needs. 

Instructions

1. Using your brewing system of choice fill the boiler with 22 L of water and heat to a temperature of 69°C.

2. When the water reaches 69°C, slowly add your milled grain, stirring gently to avoid clumping. Maintain the mash temperature of 65°C for 60 minutes. 

3. After 40 minutes of mashing bring 11L of water up to 75°C for sparging in a separate boiler/pot.

4. After 60 minutes raise the temperature up to 75°C for the mash out. Maintain this temp for 10 minutes. Note this step cannot be achieved if using a non-heated mash tun.

5. Raise the grain basket out of the boiler or drain your mash tun into the boiler. Sparge with 11 L of water. This water must be at 75°C – alternatively if you have a large enough brewing system and would prefer not to sparge simply mash in with 33L of water.

6. Set your brewing system to boil. Once it reaches boiling point, boil for 10 minutes. Ensure to stir the proteins in at the start of the boil to avoid boil overs.

7. Once the boil is completed cool the wort to 24-28°C.

8. Drain the wort into a sterilised fermenter. If using distiller’s enzymes add the glucoamylase “distiller’s enzymes” and yeast to the wort with a sterilised spoon. Vigorously stir in the yeast and enzyme, allow to ferment at 24-28°C.

9. Leave to ferment for 10-14 days or until the gravity reading stabilises for two consecutive days. Use Turbo Clear as per instructions.

10. You are now ready to distil. The wash should be siphoned into your still to leave behind the sediment. Please refer to the instruction manual of your distillation unit for detailed instructions on distilling your spirit.