StillSmart

Are you suggesting a skinned rabbit wash? Not sure that I am up for that one!

Don't you like the idea of a drink named "Rabbit Punch"?

Robert.

I have read of the use of horse flesh to give beer "body" in years gone by. Which makes he shudder whenever I hear that term. And I have seen recipes for "cock ale" calling for a whole chicken. Plucked, I assume. Or at least washed well. Ah, jeez...

But I tend to strongly lean towards keeping my love of meat and love of distilled beverages very widely separated.

Chuck

oh dear, skinned rabbit, horse flesh - why did I read that? >:D

But to stay on the topic: yes, some say (even some highly recommended books), that wash can sit for a couple of months to get that fruity esters, but science and tasting tells otherwise: the wash should be distilled right away or even before it has completely stopped fermenting. Why? because the chance of getting bad grows and the unwanted oxydation taste will increase the older the wash is.

We had this discussion with the main professor and scientist at the Agricultural University in Klosterneuburg, Dr. Gössinger. They made several trials about this, sorry, all his books are only in German.

I can only recommend to try in tastings the different wash spirits. You will see, what I mean.

Like many topics in this craft, it is sometimes difficult to separate facts from urban myths.

I have read, in more than one source, though for the life of me I can't remember the sources, that to leave too long on a yeast with any viability left in it, will allow that yeast to start to consume the the alcohol as a source of calories, thereby becoming counter productive.

Fact or myth?

myth

Sunshine wrote:myth

seconded.

Robert.