From Mashing to Fermentation: The Science Behind Our Distillery Wash

Now that our grains have been perfectly milled into flour, they are ready for the next major phase of their journey. Today, we are opening the doors to our brewhouse to explore the crucial steps that transform this flour into a fermented wash, ready for the still.

Let’s dive into the details of our mashing and fermentation process!

Mashing: Brewing Our "Distiller's Beer"

The milled grain drops from above directly into our mash tun. This is where the process truly comes alive: we combine the grain with water and cook it according to the specific temperature rests of our recipe.

This step allows us to create our "distiller's beer" (or wash). Keep in mind, while we call it beer, it’s not something you’d want to enjoy in a glass at the pub! We don't complete all the steps of standard brewing—such as adding hops. Once the grain is cooked and the mash is ready, we cool it down so that yeast can be safely introduced.

A Specialized Technique for Single Malt: The Lauter Tun

Our process changes depending on the style of whisky we are crafting:

• For Rye Whisky: We typically ferment the liquid together with the grain solids.

• For Single Malt Whisky: We use a different approach using our filtration vessel, the lauter tun.

  
  

The lauter tun allows us to separate the liquid from the grain husks. Inside the vessel, a series of specialized rakes rotate to stir the mixture of water and grain. We then collect and remove the spent grains, keeping only the clear liquid (the wort) to be pumped into our fermenters.

Fermentation: High-Precision Temperature Control

At Distillerie des Cantons, we rely on top-of-the-line stainless steel fermenters. These tanks feature a cooling jacket filled with glycol, which gives us absolute control over the temperature to ensure a smooth, steady fermentation.

The liquid is transferred into the fermenter, the yeast is pitched, and we let the magic happen. The mixture rests for up to a week, allowing the yeast to convert sugars into alcohol, bringing the final wash to around 10% ABV.

The CIP System: Clean and Ready for Tomorrow

A huge part of distilling is maintaining flawless hygiene. To make this process efficient, we use an automated CIP (Clean-in-Place) system. This equipment handles the washing of our tanks automatically, dramatically reducing the manual labor required at the end of a hard day's work. It leaves our setup sparkling clean and ready for a fresh start the next morning!