Brewing and Mashing

This is an important step at Celtic Whisky Distillerie because we brew our own beer.

Beer mash is used as a base for Celtic Whisky Distillerie’s single malts.

After the malted barley has been received by the distillery, the transformation process that will enable the whisky to be made can begin. At the end of the fermentation phase the carbohydrates naturally present in the barley grains are transformed into alcohol to produce a mixture (or beer), which will then be subjected to distillation. Whisky is literally distilled beer. True to its demand for authenticity Celtic Whisky Distillerie brews its own beer.

Once they have been filtered and their impurities removed the cereals are crushed to obtain a fairly fine flour called “grist”. Rehydrated with water this mixture is then stirred in a vat. The proportion of water to grist is determined beforehand by the brewer. The aim of this brewing process is to recover the maximum number of enzymes contained in the malted barley. The smell of hot cereals permeates the brewery. After a few minutes, a slightly sweet liquid settles at the bottom of the tank. This is the wort that the brewer carefully collects before transferring it to the distillery’s Oregon pine fermenters. In addition, the grist generates spent grain, which takes the form of solid residues that are extremely rich in protein and, therefore, particularly well-suited for animal feed. This is why Celtic Whisky Distillerie has developed a partnership with a cattle breeder so that this spent grain is not wasted.

The transformation of the sweet wort into malt beer, and thus into alcohol, is carried out in Celtic Whisky Distillerie’s Oregon pine fermenters. The brewer adds yeast to the wort for this process which lasts a few days. It should be noted that the use of wooden fermenters, rather than stainless steel tanks, has the advantage of favouring the development of indigenous yeasts, which bring increased complexity to the blend. Throughout the fermentation process the brewer carries out regular checks. Using his experience and know-how he guarantees the production of a high-quality beer that will influence the aromatic palette of the future single malt. This distilled beer is about 8% proof. The brewer can then hand it over to the distiller.