Potcheen

**Brian d marge** · 31st July 2012, 20:57

Someone asked me if I would share the recipe, well the first batch has come out of the still

I dont know , ,,Its a little sweet tasting , I supose I can taste the potatoes , oats

and stong ish about 45%

anyway I tried;
1. Cook your potatoes so they are still stiff - about 12- 15 minutes at reasonable heat. Up to 20 minutes at low heat. Note they should still be a bit undercooked, definitely not soft, mushy, or floury.
2. Add coarsely milled barley (particles mostly about 1/16 to 3/32" in size. Definitely not too fine.). Use malted Ale barley or standard malted barley rather than Lager barley as it is definitely higher in enzymes and enzymatic action. Note you need sprouted malted barley not spray-dried malt which is normally on a maltodextrin base and has had most of the enzymes destroyed or inactivated because of the excessive heat used in the drying process.
3. Cover with sufficient water and bring to 113 F (45 C). Hold 15 minutes stirring regularly.
4. Bring up to 133 F (56 C). Hold 15 minutes etc.
5. Bring up to 149 F (65 C). Hold 15 minutes stirring constantly.
6. Bring up to 158 F (70 C). Hold 15 minutes stirring constantly. All up this makes 60 minutes which should suffice for a small batch. Some batches will take longer especially bigger batches. Most of the liquifaction and saccharification occurs in steps 5 & 6 rather than 3 & 4. If you want to alter this reduce 3 & 4 to 10 minutes and increase 5 & 6 to 20 minutes or longer where required.
7. Once virtually all the starch is liquified and broken down to simple sugars to halt the enzymatic process raise the temp to 176 F (80 C) (Mashing Out) and then drop it back as quickly as possible to between 140 F (60 C) and 122 F (50 C) so the sugars dont get scorched or burnt.
8. Cool down further to 75 F (24 C), establish an SG of 1060 (min) to 1080 (max = ideal) and begin fermentation.

I added oats as well 3 cups

I might chuck it through me still one more time .......

I dont know

Stephen

**flyingcrocodile46** · 31st July 2012, 21:02

Yuck! ...
..

**Brian d marge** · 31st July 2012, 21:05

Originally Posted by flyingcrocodile46

Yuck! ...
..

Those dont try , never know the sweet taste of success

Stephen

**Laava** · 31st July 2012, 22:50

I have tried poteen a couple of times. It is the desperate last resort of the hillbilly alcoholic! Fuckin yuk, and fucks your brain! Step away Mr D'marge... oh why am I bothering?

**Virago** · 31st July 2012, 22:56

Originally Posted by Laava

I have tried poteen a couple of times. It is the desperate last resort of the hillbilly alcoholic! Fuckin yuk, and fucks your brain!...

Brian d'marge indeed. Suddenly, the play on words makes sense...

**Brian d marge** · 31st July 2012, 23:00

What % you running at 10000000...

Im going to run it through the still again then back it down with some nice water me thinks

Stephen

**Laava** · 31st July 2012, 23:15

Don't blow your fufu valve my friend!

**Brian d marge** · 31st July 2012, 23:48

Originally Posted by Laava

Don't blow your fufu valve my friend!

My still runs a waste gate , of a mazda rotary , ...

Stephen

**Grumph** · 1st August 2012, 07:47

Ah, memories...at one point I'd have 15 gallons of wine fermenting in the boiler house of the Lyttelton wharfies hall...safe as houses as no wharfie would be seen dead going in there. Donations to the caretakers kept things sweet.

Your mix is pretty traditional and yes, probably a tad sweet. I found that the variety of spud affected flavour surprisingly.
The more modern varieties like Agria and waxy types did give a sweet taste.

**Brian d marge** · 1st August 2012, 13:28

Originally Posted by Grumph

Ah, memories...at one point I'd have 15 gallons of wine fermenting in the boiler house of the Lyttelton wharfies hall...safe as houses as no wharfie would be seen dead going in there. Donations to the caretakers kept things sweet.

Your mix is pretty traditional and yes, probably a tad sweet. I found that the variety of spud affected flavour surprisingly.
The more modern varieties like Agria and waxy types did give a sweet taste.

yup I trhink its going through the still one more time to strip the flavor a bit ...

Stephen