Creating the “Wash:” A Critical First Step

The most critical part of baking a loaf of bread is not the actual baking; it’s mixing the batter. The same holds true for distilling: The most critical part of making a clean spirit is not the actual distillation; it’s mixing the “wash.” The wash is the combination of distillate (i.e., grain, fruit, or molasses), enzymes, water, nutrients and yeast that is the starting point of all spirits. Simply stated, it is the stage in the spirit’s development when starch is converted to sugar and sugar is transformed into alcohol. Without a properly constituted wash, distilling a superb spirit becomes infinitely more difficult.

Making a quality wash requires plenty of TLC. The wash needs to be aerated, it needs to be fed plenty of nutrients, and it needs to cultivate in a temperate environment. It’s a living organism with very specific needs. If the yeast, which is a critical component of the wash, is too hot, it will create nasty-tasting byproducts like Amyl Acetate and Ethyl Acetate. If it’s too cold, it will be sluggish and competing bacteria could develop. If the wash lacks oxygen or doesn’t have enough nitrogen, the yeast won’t multiply. There are myriad issues that can ruin a wash, and over the course of the three days it takes to ferment, the wash requires constant attention.

For the past month, Will and I have been refining our wash recipes in preparation for the still’s arrival in August. We’ve been choosing between grains (organic winter rye or organic wheat?), molasses (blackstrap or golden?), yeasts (baker’s yeast or champagne yeast?), nutrients, and water sources in an effort to construct a wash free of impurities. The philosophy guiding all of the decisions is a basic one: If you skimp on what goes into your wash, you’re going to end up with an inferior product.