Building Ardgowan Distillery Part 4: The washbacks

Building Ardgowan Distillery Part 4: The washbacks

In the latest instalment of his exclusive series for Whisky Magazine, Ardgowan CEO Martin McAdam marks an exciting milestone in the distillery construction process: the arrival of the washbacks

News | 23 Oct 2024 | By Martin McAdam

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As winter approaches, you can feel the early morning chill — and we have already had our first frost on site. The Ardgowan Distillery project continues to make steady progress, albeit with some challenges along the way. The past year has seen its fair share of setbacks, but the team's spirit remains high as we edge closer to producing our first mash.

 

Mother Nature hasn't been the kindest to our construction efforts this year. We've lost a total of 27 days due to inclement weather, with rain hampering our concrete pouring and high winds preventing the installation of roofing panels. These delays, combined with various fabrication and construction challenges, have pushed our goal of producing the first mash from December 2024 to Q1 2025.

 

With the main building envelope now complete and work on roads and landscaping underway, the visible signs of progress have become less apparent to the casual observer. However, this marks an exciting new phase in our journey. The construction team have moved indoors to install the intricate network of pipework and cabling that will bring our distillery to life and enable the production of Ardgowan single malt.

Washback number three is lifted into place

Several significant milestones have been reached in the past month, with the installation of our washbacks a particular highlight. We have successfully positioned all of our six washbacks inside the distillery. Each washback boasts a capacity of 30,000 litres. During production we will fill them to about 25,000 litres, allowing plenty of space for the foaming that occurs during fermentation.

 

These impressive vessels are a sight to behold. Viewed from the six-metre level of the main distillery floor, only the top 1.2m of the dome and sides are visible. The bulk of each washback extends downwards into the basement, with the entire structure standing more than 7.2m tall from the bottom of the support legs to the top of the dome. Empty, each vessel weighs 2,650kg, but when filled with warm wort, that weight rises to almost 30,000kg. With an internal diameter of 2.8m, these behemoths are truly the heart of our fermentation process.

 

We have opted for stainless steel washbacks, a choice that allows for thorough cleaning and better control over the fermentation process. This decision aligns with our commitment to producing the highest quality spirit possible.

The tops of the washbacks as seen from the six-metre level of the distillery floor

Inside these gleaming vessels, yeast will work its magic, converting the sugars in the wort into ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and CO2. The primary fermentation typically takes place over 48 to 60 hours, during which most of the alcohol is created. A secondary fermentation will follow, imparting distinct flavours to the resulting spirit.

 

To enhance our control over the fermentation process, we have fitted cooling jackets (which can also function as heating jackets) to the washbacks. This feature allows for precise temperature control and can be used to drive ester creation and other flavour components that will influence the final new make spirit and, ultimately, the Ardgowan single malt. We're planning for a minimum fermentation period of 85 hours, allowing ample time for the development of complex flavours.

 

As we continue to make strides towards completion, the entire Ardgowan team looks forward to the day when we can finally fire up the stills and begin crafting the whisky that will put our distillery on the map.

 

Read earlier instalments in the Building Ardgowan Distillery series here.

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