So far in the process, only two ingredients have been used - barley and spring water. It is almost time for yeast, the third and final ingredient, to be added. But yeast is a delicate, living substance. The heat of the wort running straight from the mash tuns would certainly destroy it. So the liquid is first passed through a series of flat metal plates, kept cool by running water. Though kept strictly separate, the cool water carries away the wort's excess heat, bringing it down to a mild 15-18�C.

MaltingsThe MacHamish Distillery uses the finest malted barley from specialist maltsters, produced to our own specification. Before the malted barley is ready for the mash house it is loaded into a hopper and coarsely milled into a sort of flour, called grist.