Kravin wrote:I think for making neutrals, you can ferment out anything you want as you're not taking any flavour with it. but for mashing, you want to take flavour.
I just think if you have a great beer to throw in your boiler, that's going to come through in your whisk(e)y, rather than something that's infected with Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, some funky stuff from the grain as well as the phenolics due to the bakers yeast you've added.
I'm sure it'll still make a nice drink, but if you can take a good base to start with, it has to carry through?
I have been thinking about my statement above from another thread.
I think I need to develop my understanding of Distilling more and the purpose of the mash when it's intention is for distilling.
I'm going to make some assumptions here based on my limited knowledge of distilling and what impacts the flavour carry over from the ferment, so those with more understand of what the aim of the finished product is meant to be, please step in and edumacate me.
For a neutral, just a shitload of sugar and water into the fermenter with a well attenuating yeast and nutrient is fine, as all you're chasing is a clean, flavourless high ABV liquor.
For Whiskey, I think my statement above is a little too tight around the crotch.
I think in some styles, you want the Lacto and\or Aceto in your ferment to facilitate a "sour" mash as thats what these two bacterias do. So for the purpose of that, fermenting on the grain would be ok as it would definitely cause the desired infection and consequently sour the beer.
Maybe for an Irish or a scotch though, you want a cleaner profile and no sourness to carry over. In this case separating the wort from the grain, giving it a little boil and fermenting with a clean yeast, avoiding infection from Aceto or Lacto would be the right way to go?
Or have I got it completely wrong?