A good home-brewed whiskey is not difficult to make as long as you understand the ingredients and amount of time natural processes take. There are many types of ingredients to choose from to make whiskey, including molasses and sweet mash. The most common whiskey is grain-mash, and it is the most simple process to start with before progressing to more elaborate recipes that can take much longer to complete.
Instructions
1. Wet the burlap or cheesecloth bag with lukewarm water, and place the corn inside. Put the bag in a place that is warm and dark, such as a basement or back corner of a pantry. Make sure no bugs can get into the bag.
2. Keep an eye on the bag until the corn sprouts are 1/4- to 1/2-inch long. This could take 10 to 15 days. Once the sprouts are long enough, remove the roots and sprouts from the kernels and discard.
3. Wash the corn in warm water, then place in the large container or barrel, which is the still. Mash it up with the stick so there are no large pieces of corn left.
4. Boil the 5 gallons of water. Add it to the barrel, along with the sugar and can of malt if desired. These two additional ingredients can provide a more interesting taste.
5. Wait for the mixture to cool, then add the yeast. Cover the barrel or container with the cheesecloth and keep in the same place you kept the burlap bag to start fermentation, which should take around 10 days.
6. Pour the mixture into the still through a large strainer-type device, such as a pillowcase, after the 10 days are up. This will remove all solids in the whiskey. Let it distill.
7. Distill the whiskey for a second time for a more pure product. If desired, add woods such as applewood or oak for extra flavor. Once complete, store the whiskey in decanters or barrels to age the product.
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