Whiskey is a strong alcoholic drink with a recognizable aroma, which is obtained from various grains by fermentation, malting, distillation and long enough storage in oak barrels. But in our time, many manufacturers of the drink have moved away from the pristine image of whiskey. Now they use alcoholic yeast for whiskey, liquid phenol is used instead of smoking malt, and you can forget about traditional equipment. In order to taste real whiskey, you can cook it at home.
Types of Yeast for Whiskey
Fermentation, or fermentation, is the process by which yeast converts fructose, sucrose, and glucose into cellular energy, producing by-products such as ethanol and carbon dioxide. Without yeast, no type of alcoholic product can be made. When distilling grain, sugar or fruit mash, drinks such as vodka, cognac, whiskey are obtained. So, what yeast is used for making whiskey in our time:
- Chef or baker's yeast (Saf Levure, Voronezh, Pakmaya) - they give quick foamy fermentation in just three days and a good smell of bread. However, the quality of the resulting drink is poor, as is the yield of alcohol from the product.
- Wine yeast for whiskey (Primavera, Maltiflor and others) - this type of yeast gives a slow foamy fermentation from seven to nine days, with beer smell of mash and excellent alcohol output. In addition to the yield of ethyl, they act in a fairly acidic environment, have a good effect on the combination of aromatic and taste qualities of the product and have great resistance to sulfur dioxide.
- Brewer's yeast. In addition to preparing a foamy drink, they are used for mash for whiskey. At their core, they are about the same baker's yeast, but they have more suitable strains. Thanks to the latter, fermentation lasts for six to eight days and a large yield of ethyl alcohol occurs. This type of yeast gives a good brew to get a drink.
- And the last kind is alcohol yeast for whiskey, or turbo yeast. We will talk about all the intricacies of this product further.
Alcohol yeast - what is it?
Alcoholic yeast, or turbo-yeast, is a mixture of nutrients and dry yeast for more efficient fermentation of the mash before it is distilled. In such mixtures, very strong strains of yeast fungi, they have a high tolerance to ethyl, give a guarantee of fast and stable fermentation and, subject to all conditions, give excellent organoleptic. Also in the composition there are nutrients, they provide the necessary level of vitamins, minerals and nitrogen in Braga to get the perfect drink with excellent taste and aroma.
In order to get a "clean mash", the composition includes sorbents that exclude a large formation of foam. There are also special alcoholic yeasts for creating certain drinks - rum, vodka, calvados, cognac, whiskey. Such yeast is initially mixed in with the taste and aroma of each of them.
Characteristics of Alcohol Yeast
- Short fermentation period: if you follow all the rules of fermentation, you can get a mash for distilling the drink in two days. Turbo Yeast lets you do this in 24 hours.
- Tolerance to alcohol: due to the toxicity of ethanol, the yeast in Braga "dies" when the desired level of alcohol is reached. A high content of strains in these yeasts can endure up to 20-23% of alcohol, while in breweries and chefs it is only 12 to 14%, and as for wines, 15% of alcohol. In addition, you can control the strength of alcohol yourself with the help of granulated sugar, yeast and temperature.
- Fermentation of sugars at a high level: dextrins is a type of sugar found in starch-containing raw materials and molasses, and yeast cannot consume them. Therefore, they include enzymes that can break down non-fermentable sugars, which are able to remove a large amount of by-product alcohol.
- Proper organoleptic and pure drink: true home brewing masters note that alcohol yeast, or turbo yeast, very badly affects the taste and aroma of whiskey, killing the true organoleptic of the product. One cannot disagree with them, but production does not stand still and constantly brings yeast to the ideal.
What whiskey yeast to choose? It all depends on your taste preferences, the time to prepare the product, the desired strength of the drink, the temperature regime that you can create, and the way they are prepared. In order to get what you need, it is best to experiment on creating whiskey yourself and choose the best option.
Yeast for whiskey - which is better?
Currently, the number one producer of alcoholic yeast is the United Kingdom, which is represented by three world famous companies:
- Brand Bragman.
- Pathfinder is a brand of the well-known Young´s Home Brew.
- And the most popular - Alcotec - is a division of Hambleton Bard Ltd.
Among these three brands, experienced moonshiners favor the Alcotec brand. Reviews on Alkotek Whiskey yeast are only positive, they are called the best yeast for making this drink. They contain a high number of strains that can improve and maintain the aroma and taste of the drink. This yeast is of excellent quality and they have an affordable price - from 300 to 600 rubles.
Cooking features
In order to get a tasty drink, you need to follow certain rules:
- First you need to choose the yeast for fermentation.
- Next, choose a fermentation dish for fermentation of malt wort - the container for this can be made of glass, metal, wood or plastic. The main thing is that you are comfortable.
- Malt and grain mash, is a water trap required? The answer is unequivocal: no, because malt wort is an excellent medium for the growth and reproduction of yeast, which can release alcohol and carbon dioxide in a couple of hours. The most important thing is to observe hygiene standards and quickly cool the wort to make yeast.
- The correct taste and smell of mash - the taste of the right mash should be bitter, sour and beer-brewed. As for the smell, it is slightly beer-beer.
- Storage of mash until ferry. Until distillation, it can be stored for two months in a cool dark place and always in a clean sealed container.
Tips
- Malt is best crushed in a special mill to avoid the consistency of flour.
- Someone insists on malt in water at a temperature of 65 degrees, wrapping it tightly in a container, but it’s better to cook, because during this process, sugars and proteins necessary for yeast are released.
- It is important to observe the temperature regime during washing: the first time the water should be 72 degrees, the second washing ten times more.
- In order for the fermentation process to go perfectly, the wort needs to be cooled to 35 degrees.
- Before introducing yeast, it is necessary to saturate the wort with oxygen. Just pour it from a great height from one container to another.
Aging or aging whiskey
To do this, you can use:
- Mongolian oak (it will give a floral, caramel and vanilla flavor).
- Limousin oak gives a pronounced vanilla flavor.
- Do you like chocolate notes, vanilla and notes of pepper? Then use the Hungarian oak.
- You are a fan of cinnamon and light vanilla - then choose a French oak.
There are a lot of varieties of oaks, you just need to choose the one that suits your taste.