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Production of aromatic mashes for distilling

Distillates made from apricots, pears and cherries are a delight due to their typical fruit and intense aroma. In this newsletter we have summarised what you should look out for when making aromatic brandies.

Microbiological stability
Fully ripe, healthy fruit forms the basis for aromatic distillates. But even fruit that is healthy to the naked eye carries bacteria and wild yeasts on the surface and these can spoil (asescence) a mash, or lead to an unclean fermentation note.

After the dirt has been washed off, the mast should be prepared speedily, especially for soft fruit (stone fruit and berries), as residual juice in the harvesting crates can also lead to unavoidable microbiological contamination. After mashing in, the pH value should be reduced rapidly to pH 3.2 using Erbslöh pH Senker. Clean working also includes always starting with a full tank. The still common practice of starting a mash tun and topping it up with mash over several days harbours
the risk of infection with harmful organisms or an unclean fermentation bouquet.

Liquefaction for better aroma yield
Pectin, as the fruit’s cement, makes mashes thick and tough. On the one hand this has the disadvantage that mash caps soon form which, when they become dry, tend towards asescence (therefore submerge the cap daily) and secondly, a mash that is too dry impedes even distribution of the yeast, reduces the fermentation output and the yeast is unable to develop the full fruit bouquet. Dry mashes are inclined to burn during distillation. Several options are available to the distiller in order to reduce the mash’s viscosity and
liquefy it:

Diagram 1: The diagram shows the proportion of glucose, maltose and maltotriose in a 17% oat flour solution after 90 minutes’ treatment with 300 ppm EnerZyme® Amyl, 10 ppm EnerZyme® Visco and 800 ppm EnerZyme® Alpha.

Diagram 2: The diagram shows the proportion of glucose, maltose and maltotriose in a 17% oat flour solution after 90 minutes’ treatment with 300 ppm EnerZyme® Amyl, 10 ppm EnerZyme® Visco, 560 ppm EnerZyme® Alpha and 240 ppm EnerZyme® HT.

Diagram 3: The diagram shows the proportion of glucose, maltose and maltotriose in a 17% oat flour solution after 90 minutes’ treatment with 300 ppm EnerZyme Amyl, 10 ppm EnerZyme Visco and 800 ppm EnerZyme HT.

Depending on the enzyme selected the ratio of different sugars can be influenced, as shown in diagrams 1-3. This has a direct sensory effect on the oat drink. More glucose means a primary impression of sweetness, a lot of maltotriose, on the other hand, lends body but only a slight sweetness. In this way individual customers’ wishes can be achieved using the same initial substrate and the body is supplied with sugars that digest differently.

Production of aromatic mashes for distilling

Distillates made from apricots, pears and cherries are a delight due to their typical fruit and intense aroma. In this newsletter we have summarised what you should look out for when making aromatic brandies.

Microbiological stability
Fully ripe, healthy fruit forms the basis for aromatic distillates. But even fruit that is healthy to the naked eye carries bacteria and wild yeasts on the surface and these can spoil (asescence) a mash, or lead to an unclean fermentation note.

After the dirt has been washed off, the mast should be prepared speedily, especially for soft fruit (stone fruit and berries), as residual juice in the harvesting crates can also lead to unavoidable microbiological contamination. After mashing in, the pH value should be reduced rapidly to pH 3.2 using Erbslöh pH Senker. Clean working also includes always starting with a full tank. The still common practice of starting a mash tun and topping it up with mash over several days harbours
the risk of infection with harmful organisms or an unclean fermentation bouquet.

Liquefaction for better aroma yield
Pectin, as the fruit’s cement, makes mashes thick and tough. On the one hand this has the disadvantage that mash caps soon form which, when they become dry, tend towards asescence (therefore submerge the cap daily) and secondly, a mash that is too dry impedes even distribution of the yeast, reduces the fermentation output and the yeast is unable to develop the full fruit bouquet. Dry mashes are inclined to burn during distillation. Several options are available to the distiller in order to reduce the mash’s viscosity and
liquefy it:

Diagram 1: The diagram shows the proportion of glucose, maltose and maltotriose in a 17% oat flour solution after 90 minutes’ treatment with 300 ppm EnerZyme® Amyl, 10 ppm EnerZyme® Visco and 800 ppm EnerZyme® Alpha.

Diagram 2: The diagram shows the proportion of glucose, maltose and maltotriose in a 17% oat flour solution after 90 minutes’ treatment with 300 ppm EnerZyme® Amyl, 10 ppm EnerZyme® Visco, 560 ppm EnerZyme® Alpha and 240 ppm EnerZyme® HT.

Diagram 3: The diagram shows the proportion of glucose, maltose and maltotriose in a 17% oat flour solution after 90 minutes’ treatment with 300 ppm EnerZyme Amyl, 10 ppm EnerZyme Visco and 800 ppm EnerZyme HT.

Depending on the enzyme selected the ratio of different sugars can be influenced, as shown in diagrams 1-3. This has a direct sensory effect on the oat drink. More glucose means a primary impression of sweetness, a lot of maltotriose, on the other hand, lends body but only a slight sweetness. In this way individual customers’ wishes can be achieved using the same initial substrate and the body is supplied with sugars that digest differently.

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