so, how do i make 170 proof 'shine taste like store-bought 80 proof whiskey ?

[Hippie3]

specifically,
how does one turn
170 proof grain alcohol
into good whiskey
like Jim Beam, my fav ???

[lysergic]

Age it in charred oak barrels maybe?
I believe I saw that on a food network special on Maker's Mark...
Might take a while though, but definitely worth a try.

edit:
Here we go:

On 4 May 1964, the United States Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States." The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits (27 CFR 5) state that bourbon must meet these requirements:

* Bourbon must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn.[1]
* Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume).
* Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels.[1]
* Bourbon may not be introduced to the barrel at higher than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume).
* Bourbon which meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may (but is not required to) be called Straight Bourbon.[2]
* Bourbon aged for a period less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.
* If an age is stated on the label, it must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle.

In practice, almost all bourbons marketed today are made from more than two-thirds corn, have been aged at least four years, and do qualify as "straight bourbon"—with or without the "straight bourbon" label. The exceptions are inexpensive commodity brands of bourbon aged only three years and pre-mixed cocktails made with straight bourbon aged the minimum two years. However, a few small distilleries market bourbons aged for as little as three months.

Bourbon_whiskey

http://www.bucket-outlet.com/charredbarrels.htm

[Hippie3]

i don't care for that charcoal taste,
that's Jack Daniel's.
i prefer Beam.

[catdaddy]

activated charcoal filtering, dilution- and there are flavorings you can buy...

I bet if you could get some of the other grains- like barley- into your mash, that would help a lot.

Me, I like fruit-flavored corn likker-seasonal peaches, plums, cherries, even strawberries.

But good, clear corn likker is quite good on it's own- kinda like drinking Scotch- it's a developed taste. If I made my own, I believe I'd develop quite a taste for it...

Maybe when I quit working weekends for extra bucks...

[lysergic]

Jim Beam is labeled as "Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey"
Their website lists the same requirements:

What is Bourbon?
Bourbon is kinda like whiskey’s “sweet spot.” Why? Well, first, because corn is a sweet grain. The more corn, the sweeter the whiskey. Also, it’s tougher to make bourbon than whiskey. In fact, the government actually has standards for “Straight Bourbon Whiskey.”
By law, bourbon must be:

• Produced in the USA
• Made of a grain mix of at least 51%, but not more than 79% corn
• Distilled at less than 160 proof (80% ABV)
• No additives allowed (except water to reduce proof where necessary)
• Aged in new, charred white oak barrels
• Aged for a minimum of two years

Bourbon’s ingredients
Simply put, bourbon is distilled grain and water. We mix more than 51% corn (as required by the government) with barley, malt and rye. Then we add a little yeast. Not just any yeast, either. We’ve used the same, private-stock strain of yeast since Prohibition was repealed. Then we add pure, iron-free water, some time and a whole lotta love. And there you have it: The world’s finest bourbon. America’s Native Spirit
The Beam family’s contribution to America: The world’s finest bourbon. Bourbon is America’s contribution to the world of whiskey. To make it official the U.S. Congress recognized Bourbon as America’s Native Spirit in 1964, about 200 years after the very first bourbon went into a barrel.




http://www.jimbeam.com/aboutbourbon.aspx

[Hippie3]

yeah,
but one wonders
what they left out...

[catdaddy]

Someone to sample it qualitatively?

I'll volunteer!

[orgonebox]

Good luck with your project, Hippie3. I agree with you about bourbon over tennessee whiskey.

But even more good luck in finding a charred oak barrel. I wasn't too surprised at the online prices, but they're a schocker. As far as I understand, bourbon has to be aged in a freshly charred barrel every time - no re-use - and many scotches are aged in used bourbon barrels. Maybe you can get to know a local cooper? Then again, if you can make ten gallons of whiskey a year and wait for at least four years, then the price tag might be worth it.

Furthermore, if you come up with your own tasty proprietary blend of corn and other grains, then you can sell it to some big-time distillery in Kentucky who will market it as yet another niche bourbon whose recipe was discovered hidden inside the back leg of pappy's rocking chair. Or you can just mark a date on a calendar four years from now, sample your product once a year to make sure nothing is going wrong, and enjoy.

Finally, man, I grew up in the days when a bottle of good single barrel bourbon in Kentucky only cost a little over twenty dollars. Now even a bottle of my fave, Wild Turkey, is just a special occasion. It'll drive you to make your own bourbon.

EDIT: Here's an article on how cheap wines are made without being cased in a barrel using oak additives like staves or chips. Possibly the same could be done for a palatable bourbon-like liquor without resorting to a barrel, although the article does mention that the barrel itself allows for a small amount of oxidation through "breathing" that adds to the overall character of the liquor.

http://www.aromadictionary.com/artic...s_article.html

[SporeCrazy]

PM sent Hip

[Hippie3]

thx

[Hippie3]

so,
why age it ?
what does that accomplish, and how ?
any way to speed process ?

[procell]

Originally Posted by Hippie3

so,
why age it ?
what does that accomplish, and how ?
any way to speed process ?

I would venture to guess that whatever action the alcohol molecules reacting with the carbon molecules create, to mellow out the alcohol making it more palatable, it is better the longer the chemical reaction takes place. Thus the higher distinction for longer aged whiskey,

[lysergic]

Originally Posted by procell

I would venture to guess that whatever action the alcohol molecules reacting with the carbon molecules create, to mellow out the alcohol making it more palatable, it is better the longer the chemical reaction takes place. Thus the higher distinction for longer aged whiskey,

Yeah, from what I've read
It seems to mellow it out,
as well as allowing other more complex flavors to develop.

The aging process also appears to allow "colorless" distillates to turn amber.


Parts of this paper explain it a little better:

Abstract:

1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of Japanese whiskey after various
aging periods in oak barrels was measured to evaluate the antioxidative effects of whiskey. The
activity of the whiskey increased with the aging period with high correlation. The activity of various
types of whiskey was measured and shown to be correlated to the potentiation of the GABAA receptor
response measured in a previous paper. However, the fragrant compounds in the whiskey which
potentiated the GABAA receptor response had low DPPH radical scavenging activity, while phenol
derivatives had high radical scavenging activity. The whiskey was extracted by pentane. The aqueous
part showed the scavenging activity, whereas the pentane part did not. Thus, both the DPPH radical
scavenging activity and the potentiation of the GABAA receptor response increased during whiskey
aging in oak barrels, but were due to different components. The whiskey protected the H2O2-induced
death of E. coli more than ethanol at the same concentration as that of the whiskey. The changes
that occurred in the whiskey during aging may be the reason aged whiskies are so highly valued.

[SilvrHairDevil]

And - it has to age in barrels. Unlike wine & beer, which will age in the bottle, whiskey needs wood.

[eastwood]

I dont think your going to be able to make shine ever taste like whiskey.The barrell idea sounds good just not practical.

That is white liquor.Its just not going to taste like brown liquor

You might be able to add some fruit to the shine to give it a better taste

[pizark2]

my friend ads a pint of peach snapps to a quart of shine.That taste good to me,but it's more of a brandy I think.definately not like beam

[cap]

beam has 3 or 4 grades they bottle one is single barrel the single barrel is right from the charcoaled barrels - all are charcoaled inside hip--but jack uses creek water from an underwaer well in tennessee which gives it the signature flavor. beam is RIGGOUROUSLY tested and blended to get product u buy in the bottle. best bet is touring the beam plant and ask a byncha questions or write jim beam's grandson he seems like a down to earth dude saw a special on him on history channel whiskey is my fav liquor store closed i was about to buy me some bourbon myself

[ggod]

My father in law gave me a shot of his "hooch".... it had raisins steeped in it and possibly a few other things. He did not make it himself but it was gift from a family member. It was also diluted with water to make it a lower proof. I also had a shot of the "pure" shine, and it was too strong and not very palatable. I will try to find out more info on the way the "flavor" it and dilute it to make it more appealing.

[SilvrHairDevil]

Apart from aging it on oak casks for 12 years, there are other ways to flavor your shine.

I used to have customers who bought 50 lb bags of corn sugar, several at a time. They also went through a considerable number of bottles of Royal Piper and Noirot flavorings.

I can't recall if there is a Bourbon flavor in either of their lines, though.

[orgonebox]

"Bourbon flavoring" makes me think of that abomination of abominations of whiskey pretenders, the ever-so-vile Beam's 8 Star. You want your bourbon-flavored grain-neutral spirits? There it is. I've made a coffee-flavoring syrup from Beam's 8 Star, but that's only because after you boil off the alcohol, "bourbon flavor" is all that's left. Drinking that shit is like masturbating to photos of transvestite serial killers in the weekly world news behind a used records store with a homeless guy who just bought *you* some Taco Hell and managed to talk you into a deranged proposition. Not that I would know. Or know anyone who did this.

[lysergic]

Originally Posted by orgonebox

"Bourbon flavoring" makes me think of that abomination of abominations of whiskey pretenders, the ever-so-vile Beam's 8 Star. You want your bourbon-flavored grain-neutral spirits? There it is. I've made a coffee-flavoring syrup from Beam's 8 Star, but that's only because after you boil off the alcohol, "bourbon flavor" is all that's left. Drinking that shit is like masturbating to photos of transvestite serial killers in the weekly world news behind a used records store with a homeless guy who just bought *you* some Taco Hell and managed to talk you into a deranged proposition. Not that I would know. Or know anyone who did this.

[bear]

hey hip, I got you.
instead of dicking around with finding a charred barrel and waiting ten years you can get toasted oak chips. Higher surface area makes the reactions happen faster. Forgive my fogginess but as i recall the oak catalyzes the formation of tasty vanillia/fruity esters from other non-tasty chemicals and this results from the slow diffusion of oxygen through the barrel and the wood-liquor interface.

So I'd say - dilute to 100 proof
charcoal filter if its really bad
sit in jar w/ toasted oak chips, shake and burp jar regularly

worked good!

[Hippie3]

[jay-pheno]

http://www.brewhaus.com/Whisky-Essences-C127.aspx

thats the simple way for you to make your shine taste like somthen else,,
buy the essences and add them makeing pseudo rum , whisky ,scotch ,etc,,,

the best way ive tried is to use activated charcoal to take out any flavors that might be in the shine then add in the essences ,, i havent tried the oak barrels even the small 1 gallons ones cost way to much for me , though i have tried burnt wood chips ,, that seems to work sorta takes longer then i wanna wait .

[bear]

hey hip!
apparently the best thing to do is find your own oak sticks and toast in the oven till it smells like vanilla and almonds

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6597

[Hippie3]

THAT i can do.