March 5, 2024 - 7:17pm
Yeast And Yeast Varieties In Historical Whiskey Manufacture
Here's a fascinating look at yeast and yeast varieties as they were grown and used in the making of (US) whiskeys over the decades -
https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-genealogy-of-yeast.html
It's probably not what you might have expected.
TomP
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'touched by a Beam' -- Ha!
Is there any reason you can think of why making and maintaining a yeasty whisky mash should be more difficult than making a sourdough starter?
Rob
I dunno ... it must be something about needing specific properties in the downstream products. Either that or the quantities needed. I've never tried, though.
In a similar vein, I recently heard a report on NPR that the Penicillium fungus/mold used to make soft French cheeses (Brie and Camembert) is becoming difficult to propagate and could affect the production of the cheeses. Apparently, this because repeated cloning of the specific strain of the mold has reduced its ability to produce even asexual spores.
I guess we're fortunate that IDY and ADY don't have this problem, and SD already is a mix of species and strains. Except I wish my rye sour culture had better leavening power.