Distillery Operations & Craft Flashcards
7 cards from real CSP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Distillery Operations & Craft flashcards as text
What is the typical alcoholic strength of the wash produced after fermentation in a Scotch malt whisky distillery?
Answer: 6–9% ABV
The wash—essentially an unhopped beer—typically reaches 6–9% ABV after yeast has consumed the fermentable sugars in the wort.
What is 'pot ale' (also called burnt ale) and how is it typically handled?
Answer: The spent liquid remaining in the wash still after the low wines have been distilled off
Pot ale is the protein-rich, low-alcohol residue left in the wash still and is commonly processed into animal feed syrup or used in biogas generation.
Which yeast strain is most commonly used in Scotch malt whisky fermentation for maximum alcohol yield?
Answer: Distiller's yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Purpose-bred distiller's strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are selected for high alcohol tolerance, fast fermentation, and consistent yield rather than flavor complexity.
A longer fermentation time (e.g., 72–100 hours vs. 48 hours) in Scotch whisky production generally produces what effect on the new make spirit?
Answer: Lighter, fruitier spirit with more ester development from lactic acid bacteria
Extended fermentation allows lactic acid bacteria to produce additional esters and acids, contributing fruity, floral notes and a lighter character to the eventual new make spirit.
What is 'draff' and what is it typically used for after the mashing process?
Answer: The spent grain husks left in the mash tun, used as cattle feed
Draff is the spent, protein-rich grain residue remaining after the wort has been run off, and distilleries typically sell it as nutritious cattle feed.
In the lauter tun or traditional mash tun, what are the three or four 'waters' (sparges) used for?
Answer: To extract sugars at progressively hotter temperatures, with later waters recycled as 'weak worts'
Successive hot waters (typically 64°C, 75°C, and 85°C+) extract progressively more sugars; weak third and fourth waters are often recycled as the first water for the next mash to improve efficiency.
Traditional Scottish washbacks are often made from Oregon pine or larch. What advantage do wooden washbacks have over stainless steel?
Answer: Resident bacteria in the wood's pores contribute to flavor complexity during extended fermentation
Wooden washbacks harbor microflora in their grain that contribute wild fermentation character and ester development, adding complexity that sterile stainless steel cannot replicate.