The Art of Making Whiskey | Page 3

art of brewing consists:
1st. In the sprouting of a proportion of grain, chiefly barley. This
operation converts into a saccharine matter, the elements of that same
substance already existing in grains.
2dly. In preparing the wort. For that operation, the grain, having been
previously ground, is put into a vat, which is half filled up with water;
the rest is filled up at three different times with hot water--the first at
100°, the second at 150°, and the third at 212°, which is boiling water.
The mixture is strongly stirred each time that it is immersed. By this
infusion, the water lays hold of the sweet principles contained in the
grain.
3dly. The wort thus prepared, the liquor is filtrated, in order to separate
it from the grain, and then boiled until reduced to one half, in order to
concentrate it to the degree of strength desired. In that state, 40 gallons

of wort contain the saccharine principles of 200 wt. of grain.
4thly. The wort, thus concentrated, is drawn off in barrels, which are
kept in a temperature of 80° or 85°. The yeast is thrown into it to
establish the fermentation, and in a short time beer is made, more or
less strong, according to the degree of concentration, and more or less
bitter, according to the greater or lesser proportion of hops put into it.
Such are, in a concise view, the proceedings of the brewer. Let us
proceed to those of the distiller of whiskey.
OF THE DISTILLER OF WHISKEY.
Whiskey is made either with rye, barley, or Indian corn. One, or all
those kinds of grains is used, as they are more or less abundant in the
country. I do not know how far they are mixed in Kentucky; but Indian
corn is here in general the basis of whiskey, and more often employed
alone.
I have ascertained, in the different distilleries which I have visited in
the United States--
1stly. That, in general, the grain is not sprouted. I have, however, seen
some distillers who put 10lbs. of malt into a hogshead of fermentation
containing 100 gallons, which reduces it to almost nothing.
2dly. That they put two bushels of ground grain into a hogshead of
fermentation containing 100 gallons, filled up with water.
3dly. They had a ferment to determine the fermentation, which, when
finished, yields two gallons of whiskey per bushel of grain, and
sometimes ten quarts, but very seldom. I do not know whether those
results are exact; but, supposing them to be so, they must be subject to
great variations, according to the quality of the grain, the season, the
degree of heat, of the atmosphere, and the manner of conducting the
fermentation. From my analysing the different sorts of grains, I know
that Indian corn must yield the most spirit.

From the above proportions, it results, that 100 gallons of the vinous
liquor of distillers yield only 4 gallons of whiskey, and very seldom 5;
that is, from a 25th to a 20th. It is easy to conceive how weak a mixture,
25 parts of water to one of whiskey, must be; thus the produce of the
first distillation is only at 11° or 12° by the areometer, the water being
at 10°. It is only by several subsequent distillations, that the necessary
concentration is obtained, to make saleable whiskey. These repeated
operations are attended with an increased expense of fuel, labor, and
time.
Such are the usual methods of the whiskey distillers. Before we
compare them with those of the brewer, let us examine the nature of
fermentation, and what are the elements the most proper to form a good
vinous liquor: thence we shall judge with certainty, of those two ways
of operating.
CHAPTER III.
OF FERMENTATION.
"Fermentation is a spontaneous and intestine motion, which takes place
amongst the principles of organic substance deprived of life, the
maximum of which always tends to change the nature of bodies, and
gives rise to the formation of new productions."
Bouillon la Grange.--Manual of a Course of Chymistry.
Fermentation has long since been divided into spirituous, acid, and
putrid.
It is only since the revival or new epoch of chymistry, that the learned
have been occupied in researches on fermentation. I was the first who
gave a new hint on this important part of natural philosophy, in 1785. It
was then held as certain, that the saccharine substance was the principle
of spirituous fermentation. A series of experiments enabled me to
demonstrate the contrary, for I obtained a well crystallized sugar by the
fermentation of a substance which produces none by any other means.

In September, 1785, I read a memoir to the Academy of Sciences, at
Paris. In that memoir I developed my theory. That learned body
nominated four commissioners, for