Yeast requirements for a sugar wash

[Lesliev]

Hoping for some help.
I am fairly new to distilling but have some experience brewing beer.
I have now made and distilled about 8 washes using various recipes like TFFV, TPW, Kale and a couple of my own recipes using the spent grains from a beer mash plus sugar (the spent grains just provide nutrients I believe and very little sugar). All have worked well to varying degrees with the TFFV being the best and my Spent grains a close second. I am interested to better understand what basic ingredients are needed to create a fermented wash.
Sugar obviously and yeast suitable for the task the temp and the final ABV but after that I am a bit confused. I understand nutrients (and oxygen) are needed so the yeast can multiply and am assuming the ingredients like TP, Wheat Bran, Kale etc in some of the recipes are there to provide that nutrient however many of those also use some DAP, another nutrient I believe, so why both and why not just use DAP or yeast nutrients like fermaid? Some also use Vitamin B and Epsom Salts what exactly do they contribute that the yeast needs.
I suppose I am trying to better understand what part the various additions I have seen play in the wash fermentation process and are they needed or just insurance and what is the most basic sugar wash you can make that will work. Hope someone can explain to this newcomer to distilling and thanks in advance for any comments.

[TheRealMrMessy]

Any fermentable sugar at a sensible ratio in water, with the right temperature and pH for the yeast being used will produce some amount of ethanol. What all the added stuff fundamentally does, is make the yeast healthier through the right pH range and with the right nutrients, to be able to multiply many times over in numbers and therefore more thoroughly ferment the sugars they are able to while producing the flavour profiles you are after. Stressing yeast outside its desired zone - by temperature, gravity, abv, ph, not enough nutrients etc - may well cause it to produce gross stuff and/or die.

The specifics get a bit complex for a Sunday night, but each recipe seeks that balancing act.

[The Stig]

What Messy said
:text-+1: