Now to Make Bourbon! – For the corn whiskey to become bourbon the moonshine needs to be aged. Many people say you need to age the corn whiskey in an oak barrel for two years. You can always cheat this a little by letting it mature for about 9 months in an oak barrel or stored with oak chips. Looking for a sweeter treat? Try our Applejack Moonshine recipe!
Contents
Can you make homemade bourbon?
This blog provides information for educational purposes only. Read our complete summary for more info. January 6, 2023 Last updated May 30, 2023 posted in Distilling 
In this guide, we’ll show you how to make bourbon whiskey from start to finish. This will include step by step descriptions of recipe creation, grain milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, and aging, blending, and bottling. To make sure we provide the most valuable and accurate information possible, we’ve enlisted the help of Jesse Wilson from the “Still It” YouTube channel.
- He’s a master distiller whose expertise is highly sought after by both home distillers and professional distillery owners.
- It must also be noted that this article is for educational purposes only.
- While it is legal to make a bourbon mash in the United States, it is illegal to distill bourbon at home for personal consumption.
In fact it’s illegal to distill it for any reason without the proper federal, state and local permits. As it turns out, the “land of the free” ain’t so free after all. However, Jesse is from New Zealand where “freedom” is more than a cheap buzzword and home distilling is actually legal.
Can moonshine be turned into bourbon?
Now to Make Bourbon! – For the corn whiskey to become bourbon the moonshine needs to be aged. Many people say you need to age the corn whiskey in an oak barrel for two years. You can always cheat this a little by letting it mature for about 9 months in an oak barrel or stored with oak chips. Looking for a sweeter treat? Try our Applejack Moonshine recipe!
Can I age my own bourbon?
All Grain Bourbon Recipe for Moonshine|Part 1
Purchase or Build a Kit. The most common kit used to age your own whiskey is a barrel. A charred white oak barrel is the most suitable kit used to age whiskey, as they work faster than other options. You can purchase or build one in some brewing supply stores or online.
Why isn’t bourbon aged?
How Long is Bourbon Aged? – The aging process helps to calm the harshness of the alcohol and gives bourbon its distinct flavors. The longer the bourbon sits in the barrel, the more rich and complex the flavor profile will be. But there is a limit to the aging process.
What makes it a bourbon?
Who Defines Bourbon Whiskey? – The legal requirements for distilling Bourbon are defined under the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Basically, the defining factor that makes Bourbon a unique whiskey is the law. The Federal Standards of Identity for Bourbon state determine what is and what isn’t Bourbon.
For a whiskey to be considered Bourbon, its mash – the mixture of grains from which the product is distilled – must contain at least 51% corn. The rest of the mash is usually filled out with rye or wheat, and malted barley. However, this mash must also be distilled at no higher than 160 proof and put into a barrel at no higher than 125 proof.
No additives must be added to the mash as well. Additionally, the distilled Bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels. Though the law doesn’t specify the species of oak, most distilleries use white oak because it is most suited to building a secure, watertight barrel.
- It gets even more complicated than this.
- To be considered ” straight Bourbon,” it must be aged for a minimum of two years in new charred oak containers.
- If it is aged for less than four years, it must have an age statement somewhere on the bottle that tells buyers how long it was aged.
- Some Bourbon may also be bottled in bond, the label for American-made distilled spirits that are aged and bottled according to certain federal standards.
Many enthusiasts see this label as an endorsement of quality. When you purchase a bottle of straight Bourbon that doesn’t state how old it is, you’re likely getting Bourbon that is at least four years old but not much older.
What are the 4 ingredients of bourbon?
What Is Bourbon? – According to US Trade Legislation, a “bourbon” is a type of whiskey where the “mashbill”—which is the recipe of grains used to produce the whiskey— consists of 51% – 80% corn, Typically, distillers use approximately 70% corn content and are free to choose other grains for the remainder of the mashbill.
- The type of grain used will affect the style and flavors of the whiskey.
- There are specific guidelines that distiller’s must follow in order to put the word bourbon on the label.
- The Process – Most bourbon starts with sour mash.
- It is taken from a previous batch of mash (crushed grain going through the fermentation process), set out to sour overnight, and then added to a new batch.
The process is much like that of starting a sourdough bread. The Recipe – Bourbon is distilled from a fermented mash of grain, yeast and water. The “mash bill” must have a minimum of 51% corn. For most bourbons, the average is about 70%. Other grains such as rye, malted barley and wheat are considered the “flavor” grain.
Length of Aging – Bourbon must be aged for a minimum of two years. Many premium bourbons on the market are aged between 5 -12, with some as long as 27 years. The Barrel – Bourbon must be aged in brand new barrels which are made of white oak and have been charred on the inside. Brands determine the varying levels of char for their barrels from 1 to 4.
Flavor – By law nothing can be added at bottling except water. Nothing is added that might enhance flavor, add sweetness or alter color. Proof – Bourbon is bottled at between 80 and 125 proof. Only water may be used to lower the proof of the alcohol. Location – Bourbon can be made anywhere in the US.
Is making bourbon hard?
If you’re wondering, “can bourbon be made at home?” the answer has two parts. If you have the proper equipment and ingredients at home, it is somewhat easy to create your own bourbon. However, distilling your own liquor is illegal in the United States without proper licensing.
Before diving right in and starting the distilling process, make sure you read this article to ensure you’re prepared. You will also need to purchase ingredients, many of which you likely don’t already have at home. It is also important to note that is illegal in the United States to distill your own liquor without a license.
Check your respective state laws concerning if you are allowed to construct a set-up for distilling bourbon.
What are the 5 keys to making bourbon?
These keys represented the five steps of crafting bourbon— grains, yeast, fermentation, distillation and aging. But more importantly, they grew to symbolize the southern traditions of hospitality, warmth and enjoying the finer things in life.
What three things make bourbon?
When you think about the type of bourbon that you enjoy the most, specific flavor profiles may come to mind—perhaps spicy and bold, or sweet with loads of vanilla or caramel. Why do certain bourbons have either of those characteristics, though? It’s all about how the spirit is made.
- Once you understand those differences, you can more readily pinpoint what you actually enjoy.
- You’ll also be able to easily pick up a bottle and make a failsafe purchase.
- Is there such a thing as a “standard” bourbon then? Well, not technically, as it long as it meets the category-wide essentials.
- Made in the USA, all bourbon is made from a minimum of 51% corn and ages in charred, new oak barrels.
Still, we can come up with a bourbon baseline to see how other categories compare. For the sake of this discussion, a standard bourbon is one made with a three-grain mash bill including corn, rye and malted barley. The ratio generally falls somewhere in the ballpark of 65-75% corn, 10-20% rye, and 5-15% malted barley.
How long is bourbon aged?
Bourbon Basics – What is Bourbon? All bourbon is usually said to be whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Therefore, it can be said that bourbon is a type of whiskey that must be made of at least 51 percent corn, aged in new, charred oak barrels/containers.
It can be made in any state in the U.S., but Kentucky makes about 95 percent, while other states produce the remaining 5 percent. Still, it is a distinctive product of the United States, as recognized by the United States Congress in 1964. The bourbon industry has experienced great development and growth over the years.
They are of high class, quality and value. There are also lots of producers and recipes to choose from, alongside with ages and prices specifications. But the question remains, how is bourbon made? By providing answers to this question, we will have an understanding of what bourbon truly is.
Let’s consider the basics Mash bill of at least 51 percent corn This is the first basis. If this isn’t fulfilled, there will be no production of bourbon. The mash bill is the grain make-up in any whiskey. For bourbon, the grain make-up must be 51 percent or more. This is the standard identity throughout history for bourbon.
Other grains that makes up the mash bill can include wheat or rye, and also a small portion of about 5 percent of malted barley, as it aids in the fermentation process. Aged in new, charred oak barrels To make bourbon, barrels that had not previously been used or charred, should be used.
- Though, this legislation was initially passed to protect the timber industry, yet, it also helped to ensure a quality and rich character of the spirit.
- It can also be in containers.
- It used to be sold by the barrels.
- Distilled to not more than 160 proof Bourbon must not be involved with the process of separation for more than 160 proof, 80 percent alcohol-by-volume (ABV).
If this is not followed closely, it becomes a neutral grain spirit; as it retains less flavor, when distilled with an higher proof. Some types of whiskey allows up to 95 percent ABV, but not bourbon. Barrelled to not more than 125 proof Bourbon should enter the barrel at no more than 125 proof.
- It cannot go into a barrel at above 62.5 percent ABV.
- Since bourbon increases in proof as it ages, some distilleries may choose to barrel at a lower proof than this, as long as it isn’t above 125 proof, there is no problem.
- Bottled no lower than 80 proof Bourbon should be bottled at 80 proof, 40 percent ABV or higher.
This is its minimum. No minimum age requirement As long as bourbon is barrelled correctly, aging really has no requirement for how long or less. It can go for any amount of time. But, there are two exceptions to this – straight bourbon whiskey has to be aged for a minimum of two years, and bottled-in-bond must be aged for at least four years.
- These are the basics of bourbon discussed above.
- Want to be sure of the right thing? Kentucky Artisan Distillery is one of the few that produces bourbon and spirits literally from the roots to the bottle, all by hand and not computer.
- Entucky Artisan Distillery is the official home of Jefferson’s Bourbon.
: Bourbon Basics – What is Bourbon?