Washback - The preparation - Single Malt Whisky from Germany 🥃 St. Kilian Distillers

Preparation of washbacks and review of production 2021

What is a washback?

In whisky production - similar to beer production - the crushed malt is mashed and then purified. The sugary liquid (wort) pumped off during this process is pumped into a large fermentation vat, the washback. Washbacks come in various sizes and designs. Most of them are made of stainless steel because they are easy to clean and have a long service life. At St. Kilian we rely on four wooden washbacks from J.B. Vatts in Dufftown, Scotland, each with a capacity of 10,800 litres.

After a cooling phase, yeast is added to the wort (wort) pumped into the washbacks, thus initiating the fermentation process. During the so-called fermentation, the sugar contained in the wort is converted into alcohol. This process takes at least 65 hours at St. Kilian and results in an 8% Distillers Beer, which is then distilled in the pot stills.

Grinding the washbacks

Due to the CO2 produced by the yeast during fermentation (in addition to alcohol and heat), foam is produced, especially in the main fermentation phase. In the past, this foam was held back by adding a little fat. Foam retention with fat or soap is also practised in this way in Scotland. Since the installation of the new foam beaters last year, we have been able to do without the addition of fat. After the very positive experiences with the foam beaters, we use the maintenance phase over the Christmas period to sand down the wood of the washbacks.

This is particularly important as we have chosen wooden washbacks for a reason. We believe that wooden washbacks contribute to the overall aroma and flavour profile of the whisky already in the fermentation phase.