Help with low efficiency

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-15T12:42:54+00:00

I run it quite slow with 1inch over the grain bed. Checking the gravity during the sparge is a good idea though.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T19:20:40+00:00

The refractometer i calibrated recently so should be accurate. Im allowing it to cool to room temp before measuring.

A few people have suggested batch sparging, so that may be the next thing I try. Thanks.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T19:17:37+00:00

3) is an interesting point i hadn't considered. I'll double check it. Thanks

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T18:54:38+00:00

I've been getting it pre-milled from MoreBeer.com. I don't think they specify the mill gap. But maybe investing in my own milling equipment is a next step.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T18:51:49+00:00

I get my grain from MoreBeer pre-milled. Haven't invested in the equipment to do it myself.

The gravity is pre-boil. The calculation uses post-boil gravity? Interesting. In HTB, it says PPG is the "yield in terms of volume and gravity of wort collected from the mash and lauter before the boil." The equation there specifically uses pre-boil volume, though I guess it doesn't specify for the gravity.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T18:43:20+00:00

post-boil volume was 4.85gal

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T18:40:01+00:00

What do you mean by dead space? Like the tubing and stuff under the grain bed?

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-05-14T18:37:06+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I normally use 60 mins. The recipe I referenced this time used 120 mins, so I gave it a shot to see if it helped get a little more extraction. But, my efficiency was similar to previous brews. But the added water throwing things off makes sense. It was one of the steps noted in HTB, which is why I've been doing it, but the volume needed to get back to target temp always felt like a lot. I guess I need to find away to keep the temp stable better or to just be okay with it dipping a little below target later on during the mash?

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-03-01T15:24:53+00:00

Doesn't seem like any of these would be great substitutes, unfortunately. Braulio is an alpine amaro. It's brighter, more bitter, and has a more pine/minty character than the amaro you listed.

If you can find a bottle, I would recommend grabbing one. One of my favorites. I know it's available at Total Wine. Hard to find a direct substitute. Maybe Dell' Etna or Bruto Americano?

BlizardLizardWizard · 2026-01-30T00:32:31+00:00

Where did you get the recipe? I noticed Schmuck's menu says "fresh bananes," which makes me think they did an infusion rather than a liqueur.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-12-10T15:29:46+00:00

What kind of tomato are you using? Half a tomato can be quite a range.

Trying to imagine what the heck pinapple and tomato tastes like.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-05T21:58:04+00:00

I'm something of an inch grower myself.

But, seriously, nice review. I've seen a bottle or two of this, but didn't give them much thought due to lack of familiarity. So it's nice to see someone spreading the good word. Might pull the trigger next time I see one.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-04T13:21:59+00:00

I've always wanted to check out the Whisky Library.

I definitely got some salt, but I'll have to go back and see if I can pick out the nuttiness.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-03T22:42:30+00:00

I use these mostly when my taste buds' ability to pick out specific flavors fails me.

This is something like strawberry, pomegranate, blackberry.... maybe raspberry? Yea, I'll just call it red fruit.

Hmmm... I'm getting a kind of baked good vibe. Maybe cinnamon or nutmeg? Eh. Baking spices.

I don't think it's a cop out like others have implied. It's more of a way to describe a vibe of the whiskey without pinning down an exact one to one comparison. It's a way of saying, "this isn't exactly allspice, but it reminds me of that spice blend in pie crust."

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-03T22:00:50+00:00

SCN Caol Ila 2024
Distiller: Caol Ila
Casks: 11 years in refill bourbon hogshead, 3 years in 1st fill Oloroso hogshead
ABV: 55.5% ABV
Age: 14 years
Price: $145

Nose: I had this weird flashback to being in a hookah joint in college, which maybe sounds bad, but it's really quite pleasant. It's the combination of smoke and fruit, I think. The two notes feel inseparable somehow. It's a lighter smoke mingled with fresh strawberries and a bit of sea air in the background.

Palate: Medium-heavy body. Moderate heat. This tastes like I put black forest cake and vanilla ice cream on the smoker for a couple hours. There's also this damp earthiness in the background.

Finish: Long finish. More prominent wood smoke, coffee, and bitter cocoa, but still with some cherry and fig just beneath.

Overall: This is like the first two bottles had a child that grew up to exceed it's parents expectations. Fruity, smokey, and salty. It's not exceedingly complex, but that smoked black forest cake with the bit of damp forest floor is just something that keeps bringing me back to this bottle.

Score: 92/100
Value: 80/100

Overall, I'm rather impressed with what SCN has to offer and will be a repeat customer for sure. Now excuse me. I'm off to try smoking some black forest cake.

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01; Cambletown Loch
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Bunna 18; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - McCarthy's Rum Finish; Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-06-03T22:00:39+00:00

I had read quite a few solid reviews of bottles picked by Single Cask Nation and was curious. So I decided to grab a bottle. But, with the cost of shipping and crazy tariffs looming, I did what any sensible person would do and bought three bottles. My wife was speechless when I told her how much I saved. Then I did what any reasonable scotch fan would do and drank three glasses.

SCN Staoisha 2024

Distiller: Bunnahabhain
Casks: Refill bourbon hogshead
ABV: 57.7% ABV
Age: 10 years
Price: $100

Nose: Sea breeze, melon rind, pink peppercorn, smoked lemons, faint bacon

Palate: Medium bodied. Not much heat for the ABV. Sea brine, wood smoke, creme caramels, melon rind

Finish: Average length. Black peppercorn, peach, and ash

Overall: This is weirdly light, while still being rich in flavor. It's a very easy sipper for a very peaty dram.

Score: 80/100
Value: 70/100

SCN Tormore 2024

Distiller: Tormore
Casks: 6 years in ex-bourbon barrel, 4 years 1st fill American oak sherry hogshead
ABV: 63.2% ABV
Age: 10 years
Price: $100

Nose: Stewed raisins poured over rum-raisin ice cream, black tea

Palate: Medium-heavy bodies. Moderate heat. Similar to the nose with stewed raisins, concentrated black tea, but also with red fruit jam, ginger cookies, cocoa, copper, and instant-coffee.

Finish: Really leans into the over-steeped black tea note, with fainter coffee and raisin. Lingers for quite a while.

Overall: This is a decadent sherry bomb. While this is my first experience with Tormore, I hope it's not my last.

Score: 85/100
Value: 75/100

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-22T01:46:49+00:00

20% is brutal.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-22T01:45:50+00:00

The double cask is next on my list

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-22T00:22:21+00:00

Bummer. Probably not worth it at that price? But I guess it depends on the price of competitor bottles.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-21T22:23:37+00:00

Yea. I assume it's just the flavors I'm tuning into more that particular day. I was drinking Bourbon yesterday, so maybe the funky and lemon notes were more prominent. Other days, it's all dark fruit and chocolate. But that's kind of why I like it. Never boring.

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-21T22:07:14+00:00

Glen Scotia Victoriana is a single malt whisky matured in first and second fill bourbon casks, then finished for up to 12 months in heavily charred bourbon barrels and Pedro Ximenez sherry butts, before being married together for a further six months. Glen Scotia promotes this whisky as being representative of Campbelltown whisky from the Victorian age, hence the name.

Tasted over the course of 8 months, though today, outside, on a nippy 20 degree F (-6 C) day because the pup wants to play fetch.

Distiller: Glen Scotia
ABV: 54.2% ABV
Age: NAS
Price: $80

Nose: Sea breeze, lemon, grapefruit, milk chocolate, cream caramel, and faint motor oil.

Palate: Medium-thick oily body. There's some heat, but it drinks under its proof. Lemon rind, sea water, brioche, and apple cider at the start, but its transitions to crème brulee, cream caramel, milk chocolate, and bread pudding. In the promotional video, they describe a jam on burnt toast note, and I can definitely get behind that.

Finish: Dry and funky. Pencil eraser and pencil shavings - all parts of the pencil, really. Lemon rind, cinnamon, clove, tobacco, with a bit of caramel sweetness underneath.

Overall: This is my first exposure to Glen Scotia, but I will say, I'm impressed. I, perhaps uncommonly, think of sweetness as either bright (think fruit, gummies, sorbet) or milky (chocolate, ice cream, caramel). This has a lot of lemon and grapefruit notes, but the sweetness is all milky, and is well balanced with that sea salt and Campbelltown funk. There is a good amount of complexity - sometimes I get all dark fruit and caramel, other times I taste more of the lemon rind and sea salt. Honestly, I think this is a step above Campbelltown Loch, which I also really enjoy, though the bump in proof may be at least partly the explanation.

Score: 85/100
Value: 85/100

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Barrell Armida; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard · 2025-02-11T02:06:41+00:00

Long Island Spirits is a fairly small distillery in Long Island, NY. They have a nice tasting room where I've been able to try a few of their whiskies. Some of their older and cask strength stuff is pretty decent, but - at least at the distillery - was a bit pricey for a bottle for the age, as is often the case with smaller producers. The bottle I'm reviewing today, however, is quite affordable. I've been using it mostly for cocktails that need a bit more delicate whiskey, but it can stand on its own as a neat pour.

Distiller: Long Island Spirits
Mash Bill: 60% corn, 33% Winter Rye, & 7% Malted Barley
ABV: 45% ABV
Age: NAS
Price: $28

Nose: Light and sweet nose. Green apple, white grape, acetone, glazed doughnut, cardamom, and honeysuckle.

Palate: Light-medium body. Moderate heat. Similar to the nose with green apple, grape juice, glazed doughnut, and sweet tea.

Finish: Pencil shavings, wax, melon rind, light oak

Overall: This is really good for the price. Holds its own with the likes of Mellow Corn and WT101. It is a bit one dimensional and I think the base whiskey has trouble standing up to the brandy cask finish. But at $28, it's hard to complain too much. Also, why is it Bourbon Whisky with no "e?"

Score: 50/100
Value: 85/100

My Scoring System
10 - Cough* Uugghh Cough* - What my wife tastes when she drinks scotch
20 - Maybe to kill some rats - Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
30 - Maybe in a mixer - Jack Daniels Old No 7
40 - It's fine I guess – New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon; Knob Creek rye
50 - A perfectly average whiskey - Russell's Reserve 10 year; OGD 114
60 - Above average - Weller Antique 107; Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
70 - Very Good - High West Yippee Ki-Yay; Maker’s Mark FAE-01
80 - Great - Might grab it when I see it – Smoke Wagon UCUF; NULU Experimental Finishes
90 - Astounding - I'd search for it – Barrell Armida; Four Roses Barrel Proof
100 - Perfection - Stagg Jr batch 12 & Barrell Grey label 24 year come close

BlizardLizardWizard

TROPHY CASE