What makes a whiskey sour mash?

What makes a whiskey sour mash?

In the sour mash process, the mash – a mixture of grain, malt and water – is conditioned with some amount of spent mash (previously fermented mash that still contains dead yeast, a good food source for live yeast). The acid introduced by the sour mash controls the growth of bacteria that could taint the Bourbon.

Is Jack Daniels made from sour mash?

Using a bit of starter is why Jack Daniel’s is called a sour mash. The mash ferments for a full six days before being single distilled in a large copper still made to our exact specifications. And rather than double or triple-distillation, we vaporize and condense our whiskey only once.

What is the difference between sweet and sour mash?

Sweet mash whiskey does not use any back set in the fermentation process. They cook their grains, add their yeast and let it ferment. Yeast like an acidic or “sour” environment but bacteria does not. By “souring” the mash it creates an environment that is favorable to the yeast, but not to bacteria.

Are most bourbons sour mash?

It’s also worth noting that virtually all major bourbon and Tennessee whiskey distillers use the sour mash technique, even though only a portion of them actively market their whiskeys as “sour mash.”

Is Sour Mash a bourbon?

US1 Sour Mash With its unique grain selection, it cannot be categorized as a rye or a bourbon. After disappearing from the market in 1989, Michter’s Original Sour Mash Whiskey made a triumphant return in 2012 with its introduction into the US1 line.

Can you put too much yeast in moonshine mash?

The “100 grams of dry yeast per 5 gallons” rule only applies to a pure sugar mash where you aim to turn it into vodka or as a base spirit for liquors. Fermenting a wort with more than 4 grams of yeast per gallon will effect undesirable sulfur flavors that can be difficult to get rid of.

What does sour mash taste like?

Nose: Butterscotch with ripe pears and apples. A bit of white pepper spice and oak. Taste: Caramel corn, apples and white pepper with a hint of oak wood.

What does sour mash mean?

Sour mash. It’s a common phrase on American whiskey bottles, but it definitely doesn’t signify that the whiskey inside is sour. Instead, it alludes to a production process that distilleries use to regulate bacterial growth and ensure continuity from batch to batch.

What happens when you sour mash whiskey?

During this time, the chemical compounds in the whiskey change dramatically and the alcohol content is reduced. If a whiskey uses the Sour Mash process, some of the spent mash from a previous batch of whiskey to the new mash. This old mash consists of fermented and distilled mash with dead yeast in it.

What is the best way to distill sour mash?

Distill the sour mash whiskey making sure to discard the foreshots. Make cuts like normal and collect the tails down to 10 proof or 20% ABV. Save the tails as we will add them to the next run. I personally don’t re-run my heads I have been using them as a cleaner and solvent.

What is the alcohol content of Bourbon and sour mash?

The alcohol-by-volume content of bourbon and sour mash is adjusted to between 40 and 50 percent (80 to 100 proof) at bottling time. The name bourbon has been legally controlled only since 1964, so makers exist in other counties.